Broken glass
by WildVegeta
Summary: A/U Highschool fic. BxV. Vegeta and Bulma hate each other with passion. Nevertheless, Bulma is the only one who can help Vegeta get through the hell that Frieza puts him through. That is, if his pride will allow it. Warnings: Child abuse, torture.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello, everyone!

Okay, first of all, yes. Another DBZ fic. Yes, again with Vegeta, Bulma, Frieza, and abuse. Lots of abuse.

I already wrote a high school fic with basically the same plot: Vegeta and Bulma go to the same school, but Vegeta lives with Frieza who abuses him. The name of that fic is A Lifetime Turmoil, in case any new readers want to check it out.

This fic, however, will be radically different than that one. First of all, everyone is human in this fic. That means no ki, no space, and most painful of all: no tails. Sorry, guys. It will also develop very differently, and will have a very different plot as it goes along. I really hope you guys enjoy it, and I really appreciate feedback and reviews!

 **Warnings:** Abuse, torture. (You know me.)

I don't own anything.

...

Bulma didn't know what to do.

She covered her mouth with trembling hands as her brain scrambled for something, anything to help the agonizing boy in front of her.

Vegeta was covered in blood, so much so that his grey hoodie had huge splotches all over. It reached up into his black hair and covered his deadly pale face. His body was shaking so much, he seemed to be having a seizure, and Bulma worried he might start convulsing in pain right there.

In fact, his eyes showed so much pain she wanted to start weeping. They were also pleading, filled with an all-consuming fear she never thought she'd see on him. On anyone, for that matter. They were desperate… as much as eyes nearly swollen shut can be.

She couldn't imagine how he could be so hurt. He had seemed fine the day before at school… Well, Vegeta was never actually fine. He was always hurt, but never to that extent. Every breath he took was a horrible, wheezing gasp accompanied by coughs and choking sounds, and she could see, under he dim light of her garage, tear tracks on his face.

Finally, for the first time, things clicked into place.

Vegeta had been lying all that time.

The door behind her opened slowly, and Vegeta's eyes widened even more, if possible.

…

 **A few months before.**

The first day of school was a very exciting day for Bulma Briefs.

She smiled at everyone as she walked down the stone path leading to her school, her black designer boots clicking on the floor with her steady steps. Her clothes, hair, make-up and attitude were on point. That was one of the perks of being the It girl at school.

Chi chi, her best friend, was walking next to her, soaking up all of the attention.

They reached the stairs, where their group of friends and boyfriends were already sitting, sleepy but cheerful, as always. Chichi quickly jumped into Goku's arms, and Bulma sat next to Yamcha, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"Looking beautiful, B."

"Aw, thanks, Yam."

They chattered for a while, before the bell rang, signaling the beginning of classes.

…

Bulma's first class was History, and she shared it with Chi chi.

The teacher came in, presenting himself and explaining what the class would be all about during the school year. As he wrote the exams' dates on the board, the door slammed open, showing the bane of Bulma's existence at school: Vegeta Ouji.

Vegeta was the bad boy at school.

He was almost as popular as Bulma, except he had very few close friends, because he enjoyed scaring people away. He was always angry or serious, never spoke much and had a permanent scowl on his face, as if the air surrounding him annoyed him. But he was also exceedingly handsome, and his dark attitude attracted girls like bees to sweets, even if his face was almost always covered by injuries.

He was the captain of the football team, and was the best student, next to Goku, at martial arts, which made him Head of the Martial Arts Club. His injuries, he explained when asked, where a result of his constant fighting with rivaling gangs, enemies, and street fights. Falling over was also, at times, one of his excuses.

He glared at everyone and Bulma rolled her eyes at the almost audible collective sigh that spread through the girls in the room.

"Mr. Ouji. You're late."

"I know." He bit back, walking over to an empty seat at the back of the class.

"It's the first day. Couldn't you at least make an effort?"

"Whatever." He said under his breath as he sat down, his face tightening minutely in pain. Nobody seemed to notice.

"You wouldn't like detention on your very first day, now would you?"

Vegeta growled.

"No." he said finally, crossing his arms.

"Good. Then I suggest you try to get to your classes on time."

In reality, Vegetas short-temper was at its limit. His whole body was on fire, and he could barely move without grunting or wincing. He suspected that at least one of his ribs was broken, and his left wrist cracked and popped if he moved it. His torso was covered in gashes, cuts and bruises, which made it impossible for him to lean back on the back of his chair, and the rest of his body was so bruised he didn't know how he was moving at all.

To make matters worse, he had almost missed the bus, and had had to trot up to the next stop, which had worsened each and every one of his injuries.

And, he hadn't had time to eat breakfast. Not like there was much in his house to eat, anyway.

"He's such a jerk." Chichi whispered at Bulma, who nodded in agreement as she glared at him.

When Vegeta's eyes met hers, a growl formed in his throat. He hated that girl. She was such a princess. Captain of the volleyball team and Head of the Debate and Science Clubs, rich parents, looks… She thought she had the world at her feet. And Vegeta enjoyed proving her wrong very much. His scowl deepened and, as the teacher turned around to write something on the board, he showed her his middle finger.

She gasped soundlessly, but the teacher was facing the class by then, and she couldn't answer back.

…

Vegeta walked down the hall next to Radditz and Turles.

Radditz was Goku's older brother, but he had failed a couple of grades, so he hung out with Vegeta and the rest of the team. Turles was also in the football team, and he was Goku's and Radditz's cousin. Turles and Radditz were laughing as they joked about a girl's ass, and even if he smirked at certain comments, Vegeta was mostly tuning them out, lost in his own thoughts.

He was jarred out of them, though, when something slammed into his shoulder. His entire arm screamed in pain, but he only let out a growl and a small cough. He immediately turned his face towards the person who had dared cross his path, and found none other than Bulma. She had dropped her notebooks and papers, and was hastily scooping them up as she shouted at him.

"You jerk! Watch where you're fucking going, you idiot! Who do you think you are?"

When she straightened up, she was slightly taken aback by the look on his face, though she didn't let it show.

He looked feral, his upper lip curled up and his glare turning murderous.

"Stupid bitch." He said, before sidestepping her and stomping away from her, his two friends hurrying behind him,

Bulma gritted her teeth.

"Fuck you!" she said, before stomping on the other direction, ignoring the people staring at her.

…

Lunch didn't arrive fast enough in Vegeta's opinion. He was starving.

He walked with his tray up to the table where the rest of his football team was sitting. He didn't consider all of them to be his friends, not by a long shot, but the ones he did consider as such were sitting there anyway, so whatever. He sat between Nappa, an older boy who had also failed a few grades, and some other guy whose name he didn't remember. Without a word to anyone, he attacked his plate. Nobody said anything, they were used to Vegeta's silence.

A few tables away, Bulma was sitting with her own friends. Goku was among them. He was also in the football team, but he switched tables from time to time, to hang out with all of them. That day, he had chosen his girlfriend and the others.

Bulma was red in the face, telling them what Vegeta had done a few hours earlier.

"Then he called me a stupid bitch. Can you believe that idiot?"

Yamcha glared at him, although Vegeta didn't notice.

"I'll kick his ass."

"The brave knight said before he got smashed to pieces by the dragon." Krillin piped in. Everyone laughed and Yamcha blushed. "Sorry, man, but you know it's true. Vegeta is top notch at martial arts and he's stronger than any of us."

"He's not stronger than Goku." Chichi argued.

"You should teach him a thing or two." Bulma said to Goku, also glaring at him.

Goku smiled innocently at her through his food-filled mouth.

"We're even in strength but he knows a bit more. He trains all day." He said.

"So what? You train all day, too." Bulma answered.

"But Vegeta is always in gang fights and whatnot." Krillin said.

Goku turned a bit serious.

Vegeta and him were best friends, which was very surprising, given the difference in their attitude and personality. Goku's dad had been friends with Vegeta's dad before the former had passed away when they were young. Thus, they had been friends almost their entire lives, and even if it seemed like Vegeta hated him, he actually trusted Goku more than anyone. That meant that Goku knew all about Vegeta's home life, and he knew that there were never any gang fights. But he had sworn on his life that he would never tell anyone about it, so the only thing he could do, was support him.

"He's just difficult at times." Goku said after a while.

"At times?" Bulma asked sarcastically. "He's an asshole."

Eighteen furrowed her eyebrows.

"Must Vegeta be our lunch topic every single day, every single school term?" she asked.

Bulma rolled her eyes and began to eat her barely touched food.

…

Vegeta sat on the old park bench in front of the Kindergarten, with his hands in his pockets and a bored expression. His scowl changed into a small smile, however, as two little kids came running out to meet him.

Tarble was six-years old, and looked just like Vegeta, in a miniature version. Trunks was four-years old, and could barely walk and talk, but was smart and cheerful. They were a blessing in Vegeta's life. The only thing that wasn't completely fucked up and chaotic.

He hugged both and carried Trunks in his arms, taking Tarble's hand as they walked back home.

Sometimes, Celipa, Goku's mom, would offer to pick them up if Vegeta was in detention or couldn't make it on time, but Vegeta didn't like to be away from them. He was a bit paranoic.

They entered their empty house and he went into the kitchen to prepare something for them, trying to be as cheerful as his exhausted body could pretend to be.

Their house was actually quite big and fancy, located practically in the middle of nowhere, since their neighbors were quite far from them. Convenient, he though bitterly.

There wasn't much food around, since his uncle would stack most of the food under lock and key to make sure Vegeta didn't "take too much like the little dirty thief he was".

He hated his uncle with passion. He had started to live with the man a few years back, when his father had passed away on a business trip. Very few details were given to them when it had happened, and it left a hole in Vegeta's soul that burnt like fire every time he stopped to wonder why people hadn't shown more interest in a country hero like his father.

His father had owned quite a big amount of money, since he was the founder and CEO of Ouji Enterprises, one of the biggest technology companies in the world, rivaled only by Capsule Corporation. When his father passed, all of his inheritance went to his uncle, who was a very important man in politics. Vegeta Ouji Sr. and Frieza Kold were only half-siblings, and had never spoken much, except when Frieza tried to blackmail or threaten Vegeta into one deal or another, so it baffled Vegeta Jr. and his mother very much when all the money went to him. Then again, it wasn't that surprising considering how powerful Frieza was. If Frieza said jump, practically the entire world jumped in unison. The whole thing did make Vegeta very suspicious, and very, very upset.

A few months after living with Frieza, Vegeta's mother decided to leave. She never said good-bye. She simply moved away from the house, and Frieza let her go, since he seemed to have a weak spot for the beautiful woman… but it made things horrible for Vegeta.

Frieza had always been very rude towards the young boy, shoving him out of his way, insulting him and slapping him constantly… but when his mother left, Frieza exploded into a full-on abuser. He would beat Vegeta on an almost daily basis, in a very brutal way. He would often torture him, just to hear him scream, and see him cry. That was the worst part. Whenever Vegeta cracked and began to cry and beg, Frieza would laugh like he was having the time of his life.

And it terrified Vegeta.

Everything about Frieza terrified Vegeta.

But for some reason, Frieza always kept away from the little kids. He did threaten Vegeta with them, though. He'd constantly force him to do humiliating or painful stuff with the promise that he'd beat or kill the kids if he didn't. And the kids were everything Vegeta had left in the world. He would do anything to protect them.

Vegeta had tried many things.

Once, when he was younger and wasn't used to Frieza's abuse, he passed out in school because his jaw and throat hurt so much he couldn't eat. When the teachers had asked him, he had decided to tell them the truth, and they had immediately called Frieza. However, all the man needed were a few calls here and there and the problem was forgotten, the curious teachers fired, and Vegeta was tortured for hours on end that night for "almost letting out their little secret".

He had tried to escape as well, but Frieza would report him as a missing person and the police would find him and send him back. He had the fame of a bad boy, rebellious beyond belief and very mischievous, so the policemen never believed him when he tried to explain why he had ran away. Frieza was a golden man to them, and he was just the little rat living under his ceiling.

He had even tried to contact his mother. She actually lived a few towns away, only a couple hours by bus. He had called her and visited her, but he always returned home with his whole world torn into even more pieces. His mother didn't want him back; it scared her to think that Frieza would come after him. She wouldn't take them in, and she wouldn't return to calm Frieza down. He had shown her his scars, his injuries, he had cried as he told her the horrible things his uncle had put him through, but she had always turned a blind eye. In the end, he had begged her to take the kids in. It would kill him to send them away, but the fear of having Frieza hurt them one day was unbearable. She had refused to that, too, though.

So he was stuck in hell.

He placed the food on the kitchen table and went upstairs to clean his wounds and change his bandages before Frieza returned.

Maybe he could take a short nap to recover some energy.

He hoped Frieza was in a lenient mood. He really didn't feel like missing his second day of school. Not that he liked school, but at least it provided a decent distraction from the sick fear he usually felt.

As the hours ticked by, all he could do was wait.

...

Did you guys like it? Please, let me know! Your reviews are everything to me!

Also, I would really appreciate it if any of you has any ideas that you'd like to see on the story. Like, if you want something to happen, just write it on your review and I'll definitely give it a shot! (as long as it isn't extremely crazy).

Thank you for reading it and see you soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for your reviews! I don't own anything.

...

Vegeta stared with a scowl at the two small kids walking into the kindergarten's small building. Once they were inside, he let out the breath he was holding and his stoic mask broke into a grimace of pain. He stumbled a little and put a trembling hand on his ribs. He swallowed as he slowly sat down on a park bench and tried to will the pain away.

Frieza had viciously targeted his torso the night before. He had repeatedly punched him and kicked him in the ribs, back and stomach, until he vomited the food of the day and began coughing up blood and dry heaving. Now his torso was a mass of bruises, welts and gashes caused by the metal tipped boots. One of his shins also had a horrible gash, from him trying to curl into a ball to protect his stomach. His right hand was also in a horrible condition, since the bastard had stomped on it when Vegeta was trying to get up.

All in all, he could barely move. He was even worse than the day before, and he didn't even know how he had gotten up from his bed. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and never move again.

He gently gripped the armrest of the bench and pushed himself up, a pained groaned slipping from his throat. He took as deep a breath as his ribs allowed without giving him horrible, piercing pain, and began limping to the bus stop two blocks away from kindergarten, hoping that he'd get there on time.

…

By third period Vegeta was near ready to pass out in the middle of the class.

His condition had only gotten worse, and he was hungry but at the same time with such a stomachache he didn't know what he was going to do by lunchtime.

Several people had told him he looked ill, but he had ignored them all. He had seen himself in the mirror in the morning; he knew how he looked.

"Okay, guys." The teacher said. "I want to know where you stand on your maths. I'm going to write some exercises on the board and you'll have to solve them in pairs, and you'll give me one sheet of paper per pair with the answers at the end of the class." Everyone had already spotted whom they wanted to work with, when the teacher held up the list of names and smiled evilly. "But I will choose the pairs."

Everyone groaned and moaned in protest, but the teacher didn't care. He began to list the names.

Vegeta couldn't care less. None of his friends were on that class anyway. Besides, he was one of the best students in math's class – in almost every class, actually – so he was better off alone. He was too tired and injured to complain, anyway.

That is, until the teacher said his name.

"Vegeta Ouji with… Bulma Briefs."

"What?" they both said in unison. The whole class turned to look at them and Mr. Sayoha looked up from above his glasses, one eyebrow arched in question.

"Is there a problem?"

"Hell, yes!" Vegeta said, his scowl faltering a little at the sharp stab in his chest.

"Please don't curse inside the classroom, Mr. Ouji."

"You have to switch us, sir." Bulma said. "I'll work with anyone else."

"Sorry, but you have to learn to work with other people, including people you disklike."

"Dislike is a weak word for how I feel about her." Vegeta growled.

"It's just for the rest of the class hour. About thirty minutes, so stop complaining and get to work or I'll fail you both." Mr. Sayoha threatened. He glared at them for a few seconds before continuing to read the list.

Bulma took a deep breath and rolled her eyes before getting up and dragging her chair towards Vegeta's table. They glared at each other the whole time it took her to get there, and when she finally plopped down, Vegeta's scowl deepened even more. Bulma rolled her eyes again and looked down at his notebook. Her eyebrows furrowed at the crude penmanship of his notes.

"Nice handwriting, Vegeta." She said in a mocking tone. Vegeta growled low in his throat. His notes were shaky and bad because his hand hurt too much for him to write properly. The stupid girl knew nothing. "I guess I'll write the paper with the answers that we'll hand in."

She ripped a paper from her notebook and wrote both their names at the top.

"Alright, let's see. The first one is easy – "

"X equals 75.5." he said in a bored tone. He could solve most of the math's problems just by glancing at them on the board and working them in his head. Bulma could, too. She was a genius as well, after all. She just hadn't had the time to look at them.

"Awesome. But I think we have to write the process, genius." She said sarcastically.

As Bulma wrote down the process, Vegeta closed his eyes momentarily. He felt dizzy and his back was killing him from leaning forward for so long, but if he leaned backwards the cuts and bruises would put him through hell.

He flinched when Bulma snapped her fingers in front of his face. The sudden movement sent a wave of pain throughout him and he froze for a second, trying to choke back a whimper. He glared at her so hard, she was tempted to look away.

"Don't fall asleep on me, buddy. I'm not going to do all the work."

"I wasn't asleep."

"Yeah, right. Look, I don't know what kept you awake last night, but it's none of my business. So now, just try to keep awake at least until Math class is over." She said.

Vegeta was about to bite an answer back, but his mandible had grown weak and he had the sudden urge to throw up. He simply looked back down at his notes.

Bulma's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't want to admit that she was concerned, but Vegeta had become suddenly pale and he was trembling. His slightly swollen eye was squinted in a grimace and his breath had become shorter. She hated the guy, but he did seem to be in an awful condition.

"Are you okay?" she asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

He looked up at her and tried to control his trembling.

"I thought it wasn't any of your business."

"I'd rather work with someone who isn't about to throw up on our worksheet." She answered back. Vegeta rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's get on with it."

Bulma decided to ignore it. Vegeta was always hurt and it was always his own damn fault for looking for fights all the time, so why did she even bother? She looked down at her notes again.

…

Goku stared at Vegeta with a worried face as he pushed his stuff inside his locker. As Vegeta slammed his locker door shut, Goku extended his hand. Two small, white pills rested on his palm. Vegeta arched an eyebrow.

"Painkillers." Goku explained. "You look like shit and you're walking like an old person."

Vegeta glared at him before snatching the pills and swallowing them. He took Goku's bottle of water from his hand and drank. The water felt amazing going down his sore throat, and Goku didn't seem to mind that he drank half of it.

When he finished drinking, he nodded shortly at his friend, and Goku smiled.

"You're welcome."

They walked together to the cafeteria.

…

"Hey, girls!" Maroon said, coming up behind Bulma, Chichi and Eighteen.

They both rolled their eyes as they were giving their backs to her, but smiled widely when they turned around to face her.

"Hey, Maroon!" Bulma said.

"Remember cheerleader tryouts are tomorrow afternoon! We'd love it if you could make it!" she said, handing them pink flyers with the trademark school mascot: A humanized orange star. Because of Orange Star High School. The most unoriginal mascot in the history of mascots. Bulma gave her one of her fakest smiles as she rolled her eyes internally. Maroon and the rest of the cheerleaders always asked her if she wanted to join them. Her being the Queen Bee and all, would bring a lot more popularity to their little group than they already had. But Bulma hated cheerleaders, and she was far too busy with her Debate and Science clubs.

Cheerleaders were all over football players, all the time. Especially Vegeta, and seeing that guy basking in their flirting was enough to make her want to throw up. And they were all over Goku, too, and it sent Chichi into Devil Mode.

"We'll think about it, Maroon." Bulma said.

A snicker behind her made her tense up.

She, slowly, turned around to face Vegeta.

Goku had just been going to say hello to his girlfriend, when they overheard the conversation.

"What?" Bulma asked in a dark tone.

"Hi, Vegeta." Maroon said in a seductive tone, almost dreamingly, but Vegeta ignored her.

"I just find it funny that they'd even consider you." He said.

"Just ignore him, Bulma." Chichi said, rolling her eyes and walking closer to Goku. Burma ignored her.

"Why is that?" she asked, daring him to speak further.

"Oh, I don't know. It's a funny image; Captain Geek trying to pass for a cheerleader. But don't worry, they'll probably take pity on you and let you be the substitute mascot."

"Being in the Science Club doesn't make me a geek, it makes me an intelligent person. Of course, I understand if the term confuses you, being as you're such an idiot." She answered smoothly. Chichi laughed.

"If you don't want her in our team, she wont be in our team, Vegeta." Maroon said, ignoring Bulma's glare.

"I couldn't care less. But I guess it would be fun to see her tripping on her feet and trying to pull off the orange mini skirt with that fat ass." He said. Oh, bullying the Queen Bee was such a good therapy.

Bulma growled and was about to slap him, but another idea crossed her mind. She smiled at Maroon.

"I will be in the tryouts, Maroon."

Vegeta's eyebrows rose before he laughed softly, trying not to rattle his ribs.

"The entire team will be watching. I'll make sure of it." He promised her.

…

…

Vegeta stared out the window from the rocking chair inside his siblings' bedroom. They were both fast asleep, but Vegeta didn't want to leave the chair. He knew that as soon as he got up, he would have to run straight into the bathroom to throw up. His stomach was in a horrible condition and he had even thrown up blood as soon as he had gotten home.

He heard Frieza's car pulling into the driveway and he closed his eyes momentarily, before he got up and stumbled into the bathroom, pitching onto his knees in front of the toilet. Just like he had thought: blood. But he couldn't stop heaving this time. He heard Frieza saying good-bye to his chauffeur and opening the door. He began to panic when he heard him coming up the stairs and down the long hall.

He sat back, exhausted, his stomach aching, just as Frieza opened the bathroom door. A sick smile spread across the older man's face.

"Sick, are we?" he said mockingly. Vegeta swallowed and looked up at him with hatred. "Get up, you weak excuse of a man."

Vegeta took a deep breath, but as soon as he forced his body to move, a wave of dizziness assaulted him and he pitched forward, dry heaving. Frieza growled, losing his patience, and grabbed Vegeta's hair, pulling him upwards. Vegeta cried out as the sudden movement re opened his wounds and his sore body shrieked in pure agony. Frieza threw him into the hall and he crashed against the wall. He swallowed and stumbled up to his siblings' room, checking to see if they had been woken. Relieved to see that they were still asleep, he closed the door just as his uncle grabbed his arm and pulled him downstairs. When they reached the landing, he pushed him against a wall and punched him violently in the face.

"I'm not going to hurt you too much tonight." He laughed as he punched him again on the other side. "Wouldn't want the school to get suspicious all over again, now would we?" The third punch busted his lip open, and made him yell out in pain. "Because then I'd have to torture you all over again." He continued punching the boy's face until he saw tears forming in his eyes, but Vegeta refused to let them fall. He looked up at his uncle, who towered over him, and tried to be strong, but the sight of his strong, bony fist covered in blood; made his strength waver.

Frieza continued for several minutes, until Vegeta's face was swollen and bloodied and whimpers were coming out of his broken lips. He laughed and threw him to the floor. Vegeta immediately clutched his nose and jaw, and tried to stifle a sob from the horrible pain in his face.

Frieza took off his black blazer, tie and shirt and threw them at Vegeta.

"Wash these. I don't want to have blood stains on them." He growled, before walking away.

Vegeta growled and got up, walking over to the bathroom to tend to his face first.

…

…

The day had been long and hard. He could hardly see from his swollen right eye, and his jaw hurt so much he wondered if Frieza had dislocated it. His lip had reopened several times during the day, forcing him to go into the bathroom to clean it, and the bruises on his temples gave him a horrible headache that rendered him practically useless.

He wanted nothing more than to rest, but heading home wasn't exactly soothing for him, so his next best option was to sit on the gym chairs and watch the cheerleader tryouts. He'd either have a good laugh, or get a nice look at the hot aspirants. Celipa had already said that she'd pick his siblings up and keep them in her house until he picked them up, so he sat on the benches among the rest of his team, proudly wearing his Team Captain jacket.

They were all cheering and laughing, even thanking him for almost forcing them to attend.

There was a big table in the middle of the gym, where Maroon and another girl were sitting, ready to see what the new girls could do.

It was a bit boring at first, but they did get some entertainment from it. Everything from cheering and booing, to joking and jesting. It did cheer Vegeta up for a couple hours, but he was starting to get really tired and his body was hurting like hell. Just as he was about to get up and leave, someone came in through the double doors of the gym, all attitude as if she owned the place. Which she kind of did.

Bulma.

The mini skirt and tank top left little to the imagination, but her body was perfect. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, and the blue strands ran down her back like a cascade. She walked steadily up to the middle of the room and placed her hands on her hips. There was a moment of stunned silence. Everyone in the entire school had always wanted to see Princess Bulma in the cheerleader's outfit. Everyone knew how beautiful and sexy she was… but seeing it live was astounding.

Her blue eyes scanned the room before they landed on Vegeta. She knew she should've felt proud, she knew she should've gloated, but his expression made her stomach flutter. She felt some sort of warm feeling in her chest. Prince Vegeta had his mouth slightly agape, and his undamaged eye was wide. He was truly surprised, and in a good way.

She looked away from him before lifting her hands in the air.

"N-name?" Maroon's friend asked nervously.

"Bulma Briefs, but I hardly think that stating my name is necessary." She said confidently.

Maroon smiled.

"You know the routine, sweety. Good luck."

And she did indeed. She performed it perfectly; every step of the dance, every arch, handstand, hop and jump was perfect. Everyone was astounded.

When she finished, she raised her hands again in the air, and bent her body forward. When she straightened up, everyone began to clap and cheer.

Vegeta closed his mouth immediately. He hadn't even realized that it was open. He growled low in his throat and was about to stomp out, before Bulma pulled her last trick.

"I proved you wrong." she told him from across the gym, so that everyone could hear. They all turned to stare at him. Then she turned to Maroon. "Sorry, M. I won't be a part of the team this year. Just wanted to prove the pain-in-the-ass prince wrong. If anybody wants to take a picture of his face to cherish for eternity, I welcome you to. It's not everyday that you see Vegeta Ouji so surprised."

She walked away before he could answer her, loosening her ponytail and letting her hair hang loose.

Nobody said anything. Not even Vegeta. He was far too confused.

He should've been angry. He should've been ready to murder.

But a small smile spread across his face.

He hated her guts… but he liked the fire in her.

'Let's see if I can get more out of her.' He said in his head before getting up. He didn't know Briefs could be so entertaining.

...

Please review!

I'll update as fast as I can!


	3. Chapter 3

Vegeta stretched along with the rest of his team. He was very injured and in a lot of pain, as usual, but for some reason, playing football or practicing martial arts made him forget about everything. It was probably the adrenaline he got from both. He would always end up in even more pain, and a bit bloodied thanks to injuries reopening, but nobody noticed since he always wrapped himself up in gauze so that it wouldn't get on his clothes or drip down his body. But it was all worth it, since it gave him a respite from the agony he was constantly enduring, both physical and mental, even if it was only for the better part of an hour. Besides, it let him let off some steam.

He took some painkillers, just to be on the safe side, and walked into the field with his team, ready to kick some ass.

Bulma stared at the team from the Volleyball field, watching as they prepared for their practice. She frowned as Vegeta led them in and began barking orders and diving the team into two to play a game.

She wasn't the only one looking. Everyone else was practically drooling at Vegeta and his friends. She rolled her eyes and went to Eighteen's side.

"I don't know what they see in him."

"Maybe they're all secretly looking at Nappa." Eighteen joked in her emotionless tone.

Bulma laughed a little before rolling her eyes. She clapped her hands loudly to get her team's attention and began to divide her group into two.

…

"Mr. Ouji, you're terribly late." The English teacher said, looking disapprovingly at him.

Vegeta had spent some time in the shower, cleaning the blood off of his body, and then putting the bandages on again. It was a painstakingly slow process, and the aftermath of playing began to seep into his nerves, so he was slower than usual. He rolled his eyes at the teacher and walked up to his seat.

"I apologize." He said, not really meaning it.

"Did you at least bring your homework?" the man asked, predicting the answer.

Vegeta stiffened. Homework? It was the second week of school! What homework?

"Uh…" he uttered, trying to remember, or at least come up with an excuse.

"You had to write at least two paragraphs on F. Scott Fitzgerald for today. Did you do it?"

Vegeta closed his eyes momentarily as he suddenly remembered. He had wanted to do it, but he hadn't had the time. Frieza had come home rather early that week.

"I forgot." he simply said. He was far too exhausted to try to avoid a bad grade.

"Why am I not surprised?" the teacher said, shaking his head before turning around to start writing things on the board. Vegeta sat very slowly, trying not to grimace in pain. Burma stared at him from the back of the class, shaking her head.

...

Vegeta was more than ready to leave. He wanted nothing more than to go to bed and sleep for hours on end... Well, sleep until Frieza got home at least. That way his body would have some time to heal a little bit.

However, as he made his way to the door, the English teacher called for him.

"Vegeta, can you stay for a few minutes?"

Vegeta stiffened and slowly turned around to look at Mr. Zorn. Then he made his way to the man's desk.

"Yes?" he said irritably.

"Are you alright?" Mr. Zorn asked. He was one of the only teachers who always seemed genuinly concerned about Vegeta's wellbeing, but it annoyed Vegeta to no end. The man always tried to get him to talk about why he was always fighting and always upset, and Vegeta's lying skills could only stand so much. When Vegeta's eyebrow arched, the teacher elaborated. "You're very hurt. Your face and neck are bruised, and you can barely walk."

"That's not true. I just played a football match the period before English." Vegeta answered.

"Vegeta... I think you should reconsider your life choices." Mr. Zorn began. Vegeta sighed through his nose. "You are incredibly smart, but street fights are not going to get you anywhere. Your GPA will go downhill if you don't start trying harder."

"I _am_ trying." Vegeta ground through clenched teeth. He wanted nothing more than to shout at this man that he had never been in a street fight, it had all been Frieza... but he knew he couldn't.

"Then why aren't you handing in your homework? I've heard other teachers complain about it, too. You know the material, you understand what you're being taught but you don't do your assignments, your handwriting is sloppy, you fall asleep during your classes... That's not trying. Why didn't you do your report for today?" he lectured.

"I honestly forgot." Vegeta tried to convince the man.

"I've been asking around. You forgot your Math's homework, and your History homework as well." he said. When he saw Vegeta adverting his eyes and a deep feeling seeping through his stoic mask, he sighed. "Is there something happening at your house?"

Vegeta's eyes snapped at the man's face and his eyes widened.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Is someone sick or something?"

"Oh... No." Vegeta said. "No, nothing's wrong."

The teacher sighed.

"Vegeta, you know that if you keep this up, we will have to call your uncle." he said, slowly. Vegeta's heart hammered in his chest and a cold rush went down his back. The teacher didn't seem to notice his fear. "I know you can do it. You're one of the best students in your grade, but you have to try a little harder if you want to keep your GPA."

"Yes, sir." he said quietly, his annoyance suddenly replaced by cold fear.

"I'll give you until tomorrow before third period to hand your report in, okay? But this will be the last time I do this." Mr. Zorn said.

Vegeta nodded.

"Thank you."

...

"I tell you, I feel bad for his uncle." Bulma told her little group as they sat on a bench in the school's playground.

"Bulma..." Goku began, before he was cut off.

"Have you seen the man on the news? He's an angel. He does community service, donates millions to charity, visits sick children in hospitals; and he got stuck with Vegeta." she said, crossing her arms.

"You only know what they show in the news." Goku said. "For all we know the man could be a really bad person."

"I think he pampers Vegeta too much." Chichi said. "That's why he's such a rebel. He thinks he owns the world."

"I know, right? He thinks he doesn't have to do homework, he doesn't have to treat the other people right - "

Eighteen cut into the conversation. She could see Goku's expression darkening. She had always suspected that everything Vegeta said to cover up his injuries was a lie, since Goku always seemed way too concerned for him and would get angry when anyone tried to attack Vegeta.

"Maybe he really did forget the stupid homework. Can we talk about something else?"

Goku looked at her gratefully and they changed their conversation.

...

...

Friday night had finally arrived. Bulma and her friends were going to the movies and then to catch some drinks.

Goku was getting ready to go pick up Chichi when the bell rang. He went downstairs, already knowing who was at the door. Vegeta's trademark scowl greeted him and he smiled.

"Hey, Vegeta! Hey, kids!"

"Hi, Goku!" the little kids greeted.

Vegeta worked on Friday nights in a bar nearby. He didn't get much, since he was underage and was there only because he had begged the owner to let him work for half the pay of a normal employee. It wasn't much, but it was a reasonable source of income that gave him just enough to buy some extra food for his siblings, save some up, and some for his own personal needs. He hated the job with passion, but it was some sort of last resort. He had tried working at stores and restaurants, but he continuously failed to go because of Frieza's beatings, and more often than not, his bosses would tell him that a bruised, beaten boy who got into fights nightly was a bad image for the company.

On his working nights, Celipa and Bardock would always take care of the kids... and not only on his working nights. Whenever he decided to take a break and go out with his friends, they would also offer to babysit them. And, well, there were always those nights in which he somehow knew that Frieza would take it too far and he preferred to have the kids away from that hell.

But he knew that Kakkarot's parents didn't have the money to take them in, so a few nights in a row were the only thing he could ask of them.

He entered the house, and Kakkarot didn't fail to follow his routine.

"Hey, me and the gang are going out to catch a movie and some drinks. Wanna join us?" he asked, just like he did every single weekend.

"You know I'm working today, Kakkarot." he growled. "Besides, your friends and I don't exactly get along."

Goku chuckled and shook his head before walking out the door. He didn't even know where Vegeta worked. Celipa walked out of the kitchen then, and the kids smiled at her and greeted her.

"Hello, Trunks, Tarble, Vegeta." She hugged the oldest boy, squeezing slightly. Her heart went out for him, and it bothered her terribly that she couldn't do more for him. Vegeta was very lonely, and she could always see the pain and sadness seeping through his scowl. She and Bardock always suspected that something was wrong between him and Frieza, and that there was more to it than a difficult relationship and street fights, but they couldn't do anything against such a powerful man. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

"I'm fine, thank you." he said. "I have to go."

Celipa let go of him and smiled widely.

"Alright. Will you pick them up tomorrow morning?"

"Yes."

"You can come over when you're done and stay here if you want." she said softly.

Vegeta shook his head and forced a smile.

"That's alright. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Take care, sweetie."

Vegeta didn't answer as he walked out the door.

...

"Are you sure we want to go in there?" Krillin asked as he eyed the small, dark, sort of destroyed pub that Yamcha wanted to enter.

"What's wrong with it?" Yamcha said, shrugging.

"Yamcha, just because Radditz said you were a pussy earlier today doesn't mean you have to try to show your manliness by dragging us into that... hole." Eighteen said. Yamcha glared at her.

"I heard this was a cool place, alright?" he snapped at her.

"Fine, but remember I have to be home by twelve." Burma reminded him. She really didn't want to spend much time in that place.

They got inside and sat on a table, ordering some drinks.

Inside, behind the bar, in the manager's office, Vegeta felt his world shattering around him.

"You're fired."

Vegeta swallowed and stared at the man.

"Y-you can't fire me."

"I'm sorry, Vegeta, but you leave me no choice." the boss said.

"But I - why?" he asked, an edge of desperation in his voice.

"Vegeta, I've told you many times before: You can't get here so injured."

"But you said it didn't matter!"

"I said a few bruises didn't matter, but sometimes you get here so hurt you can barely keep your eyes open. Sometimes you can't even walk! And it makes our costumers very nervous. A lot of them are starting to complain." the man explained.

"I... uh, I'll try to cover them up. I swear. Please, you can't do this." he said, his throat constricting.

"It's not only the bruises, Vegeta. To be honest, your attitude bums the people out as well. I've received complaints saying that a lot of costumers don't want to get in here because they're afraid they'll bump into you." the man said. His eyebrows furrowed as Vegeta closed his eyes momentarily and his jaw tightened. God, he really pitied the boy. But his business was first.

"G-give me another chance." Vegeta said, his voice sounding a bit rude.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta. I really wish I could." he said.

Vegeta clenched his fists and an irrational anger took over his whole body. He glared at his former boss and growled inhumanly.

"Fuck you." he said, before shooting up from the chair and storming out.

...

Bulma wanted nothing more than to leave that place. She was about to give Yamcha an earful for taking her to that place, when she spotted a very familiar flame-like hair storming through the crowds and tables towards the exit.

"Isn't that Vegeta?" Eighteen voiced her thoughts.

"Of course he'd be in a place like this." she said.

"Oh, no." Goku said under his breath. "I'll be right back."

He got up from his seat, ignoring Chichi's glare, and followed Vegeta through the bar and out the door. When he walked out, he spotted his friend sitting on a bench next to the establishment, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He silently took a seat next to him.

Vegeta flinched and looked at him, his eyes wide, before he scowled.

"What are you doing here, clown?"

"My friends wanted to go to a new place tonight." Goku said, smiling. "I didn't know you worked here."

Vegeta looked away and his shoulders slumped a bit.

"I don't anymore."

"So... they fired you." Goku said quietly. He sighed when Vegeta nodded. "Why?"

"My bruises make the costumers nervous." he growled. He buried his head in his hands again as an all-encompassing despair invaded his body. "I don't know why nothing comes out right for me."

Goku swallowed as he readied himself for the emotional onslaught. Vegeta was a very strong person. He never showed his emotions, never complained, never cried... but sometimes, when they were all alone, and something really bad happened to him, he would unleash his desperation on Goku. Of course he wouldn't cry, but Goku could see the pain, the desperation and the anger boiling inside of him. The only times Goku had seen his friend cry were when his father had passed away, when his mother had left, and some very, _very_ few times when Frieza went to far and destroyed the boy's body and soul. One time, Frieza had tortured him so badly, that Vegeta had admitted to Goku, crying, that he had actually wanted to die.

"That's not true. You'll get another job."

"No, I won't!" Vegeta shouted. "That hellhole was my last chance. Nobody would want a boy who gets half-dead every day to work."

"A call-center wouldn't mind." Goku tried to joke.

He thought Vegeta would get upset... but he actually cracked a small smiled before chuckling. It didn't last long though. The corners of his mouth shut downwards and he barely managed to catch himself before letting out a sob.

"I don't even know how he does it, but he manages to take everything away from me. Every single good thing in my life, he rips it away." Vegeta said. "Even my goddamned future. I can't get a scholarship with my GPA dropping the way it is, and he won't pay for my University. And I'm sure he's got it all figured out so that I don't get even one cent of my father's inheritance when I turn 18."

"Well... we've got some years before all of that happens. You always manage to pull your GPA back to the top. Everyone knows you can easily get a scholarship... and who knows? Maybe you'll get a good lawyer by then." Goku said, trying to lighten the mood. Vegeta remained quiet. "Hey... I know it seems tough, but you are tougher than everything. You always manage to pull yourself back up. You can get another job, I'm sure of it."

"What if I'm tired of pulling myself back up?" he said quietly.

Before Goku could answer, Chichi's high-pitched voice broke into the air.

"Goku! What the hell are you doing? We have to leave now!"

Bulma was about to throw an unpleasant comment about him hanging out with her sworn enemy... but something made her think twice. Vegeta had his head in his hands, and his shoulders were slumped. His usually confident stance now radiated desperation, and she wondered what was going on. Had something happened to him?

"I'll be right there, Chich." Goku said, before he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. Quietly, so that the others couldn't hear, he spoke again: "You'll be fine. I know it's not much, but you're not alone. I'm here for you, alright? You can spend the night at my house if you want."

Before the tormented boy could answer, Goku got up and walked back to his friends. As they walked away, Bulma was half tempted to ask Goku if Vegeta was fine, but she wanted to avoid Yamaha's jealousy fit.

...

Vegeta quietly entered his house. He prayed in his head that Frieza wouldn't wake up, but as he closed the door, the living room light came to life. The usual sick fear invaded him and he froze next to the door, really wishing he was anywhere else. Anybody else.

"Come in. Don't just stand there, you idiot." Frieza's slimy voice said from the living room.

He swallowed and willed his body to walk. His uncle was sitting on the couch. He looked at Vegeta and smiled evilly.

"Why did you get home so early?" he asked slowly, feigning innocence.

"I... I got the night off." he lied.

He stiffened as Frieza put the book aside and got up from the couch. He slowly walked over to Vegeta.

"Well, isn't that just splendid? We get to have some quality time together."

Vegetal swallowed and slowly stepped back, until he was against the wall. Frieza's smile opened a hole in his stomach.

"I... I..." he stuttered. He really didn't want to get hurt again. His body was at the edge of collapsing and he didn't want to spend the whole night awake because of the pain.

"What's wrong? Don't wanna spend some time with your dear uncle?" the older man said, still walking until he was inches from Vegeta. He leaned so that they were face to face and smiled at Vegeta's fear-filled eyes. "You owe me so much after all. Where would you be without ME?" the man punctuated the last word with a hard fist into Vegeta's stomach. The boy grunted and doubled over, but Frieza grabbed his hair and pulled him backwards, slamming the back of his head against the wall. Vegeta tried to stifle a pained cry, but Frieza pulled it out of him by slamming an incredibly hard fist against his bruised and cracked ribs.

He tried to gasp for air, but his effort was halted by Frieza's knee slamming repeatedly into his stomach. Waves of pain invaded his body and he began to cough in between his screams. When the older man released his hair, Vegeta fell to his knees, his trembling hands trying to protect his stomach. He cried out again when Frieza kicked his side, sending him onto his back.

"S-stop." he said in a wheezing gasp, but Frieza slammed his heavy boot onto his forehead, and then on his temple. Before he could recover and try to curl into a ball, the same boot landed on his mouth. He spit up blood and immediately rolled away, but when he tried to get up, his ribs screamed.

"How ungrateful. The only thing I ask from you is a little time together so that I can relax, and you can't even give me that without complaining." Frieza mocked him, before wrapping a large hand around his neck and slamming him once again against the wall. He squeezed hard, revelling on Vegeta's pain as he applied pressure on previous bruises and squeezed his raw throat. With an evil laugh, he slammed his fist onto his eye, on his cheek, on his chest and stomach, before throwing him into the air.

He landed awkwardly on his stomach, and tried to drag himself away, but Frieza reached him with a few long strides, and before he knew what was happening, his face was being smashed against the floor repeatedly, until he lost consciousness.

He slowly came to about half an hour later, but it had been enough for Frieza to drag him down into the basement, remove his shirt and jacket, and tie his hands above his head, to a rafter in the ceiling.

Vegeta might've started weeping right there if Frieza wasn't in the room. The older man preferred the basement because it was less probable that someone would hear Vegeta's screams. And Vegeta hated to be tied up. There was nothing worse than his body instinctively trying to curl into a ball and being unable to do so. He trembled and prayed for strength. Or a swift death.

"I have sources saying that you aren't doing too well at school." Frieza said from behind him. Vegetal briefly wondered if that was true. Sometimes Frieza would just come up with stuff to blame on him. He swallowed. A metal-fist collided with his back, the brass knuckle on Frieza's hand cutting his skin open. He yelled, before another came. Without further warning, Frieza's metal-covered fists slammed into his unprotected back over and over, blood splashing around and rolling down his back onto the floor. Vegetal screamed, and coughed, blood trickling down his lips after a few punches. After what felt like hours, Frieza finally stopped. Vegeta's back was a mass of bruises, open cuts and gashes, blood trickling and gushing down, soaking into his pants and creating a puddle below. His chin was also covered in blood, from coughing it and biting his lip open, and a thin sheet of sweat covered his shaking body.

He prayed that it was over, but knew that it was hopeless. Frieza never got tired so fast. The man slowly walked around him until they were face to face. He admired the old bruises marking his skin, and the new ones gaining an angry color. Vegeta's left eye was already swelling shut and his body was shaking badly. He looked into his black eyes and slammed his fist into his stomach.

Vegeta cried out, his body trying to curl into itself and failing. Blood came out of his mouth and he tried to gasp for air, but Frieza didn't give him any rest. Just as he did on his back, the monster began to slam his fists into his stomach, his chest, his ribs and even his face. Vegeta screamed, blood spurting from practically every inch of his body from the cuts and gashes. His bruised body couldn't take it anymore, and as soon as Frieza stopped and stepped back, Vegeta threw up a mix of bile and blood on the floor, before his knees gave in and he was left hanging from the rope, which was cutting his skin open.

"You know, I remember when me and your father were younger, about your age, and he would always brag about how he would have a very powerful family. Powerful kids who would inherit his money, and a beautiful wife at his side." he lifted a hand and caressed Vegeta's bloodied face. Despite the gentle touch, Vegeta flinched wildly and pulled his face away. "I guess noting went according to plan. He had a weak, pathetic son whose mother is so ashamed of, she abandoned him." he said. He suddenly placed both hands on Vegeta's cheeks and slammed his head against the boy's forehead. Vegetal screamed as blood ran from his forehead, down his nose from the wound. "How sad. You're so pathetic." he slammed his forehead against Vegeta's nose and a crack resonated across the room. Vegeta cried out again. His arms instinctively began to pull on the rope to try to free himself, but it wrenched his skin open so badly that a new river of blood ran down his arms and shoulders.

Frieza cleaned Vegeta's blood from his own forehead with his finger and drove it into his mouth.

"I could have a meal seasoned with just your blood and it would be the best meal in the world. I actually might do it some day." he said darkly. Vegeta shuddered at the thought and Frieza laughed before removing the brass knuckles. He placed them on the table behind Vegeta and picked up a bloodied, heavy, big belt with an enormous silver buckle. He much preferred to use whips, but he liked to categorise his torture weapons into punishments and fun, and the whips terrified Vegeta so much that they were definitely under punishments. And that night was all about fun.

He snapped the belt and Vegeta immediately tensed up, his knees gaining renewed strength from his terror. His head slowly turned to the side, and his eyebrows furrowed as he saw the belt. Frieda caressed the buckle before he walked closer to Vegeta.

"No..." the teenager said before he could catch himself.

"Now, now. I'm doing you a favour. Pain only makes you stronger."

The first lash landed on the small of his back, the silver buckle ripping even more skin away. Vegeta squeezed his eyes shut and tried to keep himself from screaming, but it proved to be a horribly difficult task as another lash landed on the same place, crisscrossing the last one. The next one landed across his shoulders, and then a long, diagonal one cut through his entire back. By the seventh, he didn't even know where the belt hit him as the lashes molded into one horrible pain on his back. He began to scream as the buckle hit previous wounds, tearing them open even more. Frieza continued whipping him for what seemed like hours, the silver buckle ripping his skin open and pushing air from his lungs.

When Frieza began feeling tired, he stopped, admiring his work. Vegeta's back was a masterpiece of pain. Cuts, gashes, welts, bruises and blood. He wouldn't be able to lie on his back for weeks… He laughed at the thought and slowly surrounded the teenager until they were face to face. Vegeta's expression was even more delightful. His right eye was wide from the pain, the left one already swollen shut. Blood trickled down his bottom lip from him biting through it, and a few tears had escaped his eyes, creating a small stream on his cheeks.

"Oh, don't cry." He said in an unnervingly soothing tone. "We're just getting started."

Vegeta looked upwards, focusing his eyes on the rope cutting into his wrists to avoid looking into Frieza's insane eyes. Frieza smiled and stepped back, swinging the belt backwards before lashing it forward, striking Vegeta's stomach. The gash it left behind made Vegeta scream hysterically. More blood came out of his mouth. The next one landed on his chest, and Vegeta coughed and gasped, trying to breathe. More and more lashes landed on his stomach and chest, making him scream and pushing air from his lungs and tears from his eyes. After some time, his knees gave in and he was hanging solely by his destroyed wrists. He didn't have the strength to stand anymore.

He closed his eyes, trying to escape from reality, but Frieza halted his effort by striking the buckle against his bruised cheek, creating a deep cut. Another one landed on his lip, busting it open.

When Frieza stepped back to take a small break, Vegeta seriously considered pleading. He couldn't breathe in, as if his body couldn't handle the burden of consuming oxygen anymore. His whole body was burning and pounding with pain, and he felt as if his hands were going to get ripped from his arms, but he simply couldn't will his legs to hold him up anymore.

He yelled again as the silver buckle stroke his leg. His pants provided some sort of protection, but it would leave a horrible bruise. Frieza finally dropped the belt and walked closer to Vegeta.

He dragged one long nail across one of the gashes, making Vegeta shriek in pain and pushing out the first broken sob from his throat.

"How pathetic. It was just a few strikes." He whispered into Vegeta's face. He pulled his foot back and kicked Vegeta's shin, making him grunt. "I'm doing this for your own good Vegeta. Do you think that if you weren't weak and stupid, your mother would've abandoned you? I'm trying to mold you into a man."

He punched Vegeta's temple violently, finally rendering him unconscious.

…

Vegeta woke up in the middle of the floor. His hands were untied, and he was in a puddle of his own blood, most of it already dried. He swallowed with difficulty, his throat raw and constricted. He slowly opened his right eye and tried to focus his sight, which was blurry. The first thing he saw with clarity were his bloodied wrists, the flesh upraised and rope burns around it. He tried to ignore it as he slowly willed his body to move. Moans and whimpers escaped his parted lips as his torso screamed in pain. His partially clotted wounds reopened and he let out a broken scream as he rolled onto his stomach.

Over half an hour passed before Vegeta got onto his knees. He felt like throwing up, but he tried to control his rebelling stomach as he shakily got on his feet. It took him a few tries before he made it, and he stumbled forward, up to the exit, doing his best not to pass out.

Every Saturday, maids came to Frieza's house to clean up and prepare food for the man. There were three of them, and they spent the whole day there, whether Frieza was present or not, which most of the times he wasn't. They had strict orders not to talk to Vegeta or the little kids. They had to pretend he wasn't even there, or they'd get fired… or worse. It was Frieza, after all. Vegeta knew they ached to help him, but they couldn't. He even suspected he pitied them more than what they pitied him. They had to clean all the blood left behind from the beatings. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the floor to find a maid cleaning around him, more often than not crying silently for him.

When he stepped into the living room, he spotted one of the young women furiously wiping at the blood smeared on the wall from his head hitting it. He swallowed painfully and leaned on the wall, walking silently up to the stairs to go to his room.

The woman turned around and yelled in surprise.

Then her eyes turned sad and pity invaded her face.

"Jesus." She said under her breath as she saw Vegeta's destroyed body.

"I'll be fine." He said, before walking over to the stairs and climbing them. When he reached the second floor, tears had begun to course down his face again, from the pain in his body as he strained to walk.

…

Alright, there you go!

I appreciate reviews! Thank you!


	4. Chapter 4

**Warnings:** Torture and abuse.

...

Vegeta woke up to the constant ringing of his phone.

He tried to take a breath but the horrible stab he felt in his chest and sides made him stop. He choked back a whimper and grit his teeth. The pain engulfed him and he tried to will it away, but it was too much. Every inch of his body was experiencing waves of pain and he was left breathless for a few moments, the only movement his body could produce was a severe trembling and horrible jerks. His eyes rolled upwards to catch a glimpse of his phone.

Kakkarot.

And so far, it was the tenth call.

And no wonder, since it was 3 p.m and he still hadn't shown up to pick his siblings up.

He swallowed painfully and dragged his hand across the bed until he reached his phone. Then, he dialed.

 _"Hello? Vegeta?"_ Kakkarot's worried voice sprung from the other side of the phone.

"Kakkarot…" he groaned, his voice hoarse.

 _"Thank Kami, I was so worried. Where are you? Are you alright?"_

"I'm fine." He said, but his voice cracked a little.

 _"Are you sure? Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"_

"I said I'm fine, Kakkarot." He spat.

 _"Alright. Uhm, listen. Are you going to pick up Tarble and Trunks today? If you can't, that's all right. Mom just wanted to know if she should make dinner for them both as well. She also told me that if you want to come over you can, she's making spaghetti and meatballs and – "_

"Kakkarot…" Vegeta sighed. "Is it okay if I pick them up tomorrow morning?"

There was a short silence.

 _"Are you hurt?"_

"Kakkarot, please, just answer the goddamned question." He said tiredly.

 _"…Yes. Of course."_

"Thank you."

 _"Vegeta, if there's anything you need I – "_

Vegeta hung up the phone and closed his eyes, trying to will himself into unconsciousness.

…

Even though he, somehow, mustered the strength to pick his siblings up on Sunday morning, Vegeta simply couldn't go to school on Monday. He helped Trunks with his bath and gave them breakfast, but his body hurt so much that he couldn't walk. He ordered a cab to take them the three blocks to kindergarten and lied down again. On top of a half-dried puddle of his own blood.

On Tuesday, he was forced to go. Frieza told him Monday night that if he'd rather stay and spend some more quality time together, the monster would gladly oblige.

He walked into the classroom and the teacher immediately questioned him.

"What happened to you?"

He left eye was still swollen shut, and there was a big, blackened bruise on his jaw. His lip had a long cut starting from the bottom lip and ending on his chin, and there was a long cut on his cheek. His bangs covered most of the gauze he had placed on top of the nasty gash on his forehead, but it could still be spotted if one looked closely. His nose had healed a little, but deep, purple bags had settled under his eyes from the injury and lack of sleep, and he was breathing raggedly through his mouth.

He looked awful.

"I had a fight." He said automatically before limping up to his seat. He managed to sit without grimacing or grunting, considering almost everyone was looking at him.

"Mr. Ouji…" the teacher began, before sighing and shaking his head. Nothing could convince Vegeta of changing his ways.

Goku looked at him from the adjoining seat and sighed. He had looked even worse the day before, when he had picked his siblings up. Good thing his mother had gone out to but groceries, or she would've thrown a fit.

Vegeta was shaking badly, and unconsciously pressing his hands to the sides of his torso as if trying to stay together. It passed for crossed arms, though, to anyone who didn't look closely.

"Mr. Son?" the teacher snapped him out of his thoughts. "Pay attention, please."

…

Vegeta swallowed as he looked at himself in the mirror. He had locked the boys' bathroom and was completely alone, so that he could check the extent of his injuries.

He leaned over the sink and examined his swollen lip and nasty cut. It was better than before. At least it wasn't bleeding anymore. He looked at his face for a few more seconds before straightening up and slowly lifting his shirt and hoodie. He took a deep, sharp breath as he caught sight of his torso for the second time of the day.

He had tried his best to clean them and put gauze on the deepest gashes, but he had run out of it. A lot of the cuts were still open, the upraised flesh turning an unhealthy yellow. His bruises ranged from yellows to purples, reds to blacks, every color skin wasn't supposed to be, and they were all huge, covering his ribs, his stomach, his back.

He slowly turned around to inspect his backside even more. It was worse than his front, littered with horrible injuries. Most of the gauze was already stained with blood and he worried that they wouldn't last the whole day.

He limped towards the paper towels and grabbed a few, dabbing them on the sink and slowly pressing them to the open injuries. Whimpers escaped his tightened lips as waves of pain washed over him from the simple motion. He threw the bloodied towels away and a wave of dizziness assaulted him, his shivering increasing.

He leaned on the sink again, but pain shot up his arms from his destroyed wrists and the left one made a cracking sound. Before he knew what was going on, the floor came up to meet him and he gave out a choked cry as he crashed against it. Stars popped in his vision and his eyes watered.

When his head stopped spinning, desperation gripped his very being. He felt so helpless. He couldn't go on like this… Frieza was going to kill him. He couldn't take it, every single moment of his life was so full of pain, both emotional and physical, and sometimes he felt like he didn't have the strength anymore. He couldn't hold up anymore. He knew nothing but fear, pain, and a deep, all-consuming, constricting anger that gripped his very soul and didn't let him breathe.

He slowly got up before his depression got uncontrollable, ignoring the waves and stabs of pain that shot through him, and he slowly limped out of the bathroom.

…

"I can't today, Master Roshi, I'm sorry." Vegeta told the Martial Arts teacher.

The old man sighed and looked at Vegeta. The boy irradiated pain. He looked at Goku, stretching a few feet away from them and nodded.

"I understand. I won't give you a bad mark but you'll have to make up for it."

"I will." Vegeta said.

"Vegeta, the martial arts I'm teaching you are not for streetfights." The man said in a sermonic tone. "They are for self-defense. I'd hate it if my knowledge passed onto others just to get thrown out the window."

"I…" Vegeta began, but he didn't know what to say. "I understand."

"Vegeta, I know you find it hard to open up to others, but if there is something you'd like to tell me, I'm here to listen. Anything. I can help you." The man said. Vegeta looked into the sunglasses, aching to talk. He wanted to tell him. Not just to complain, but so that the man could understand that he didn't take martial arts lightly. He understood the art in it… but he remained quiet and shook his head. The older man sighed. "Alright, then. Sit on the bleachers. Oooh, the volleyball girls just walked in!"

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the perverted man and limped up to the bleachers, sitting down painfully.

…

Bulma spotted Goku and Vegeta talking in front of their lockers. Goku seemed to be giving Vegeta some candy, or pills.

She took a deep breath and walked over to them.

" – it's a bar downtown, quite far from where you live, but I think they'll be willing to hire – " Goku quieted down as Bulma approached them. Vegeta glared daggers at her.

"What do you want?" he ground out.

"Why are you always so rude and disrespectful? You should learn how to treat a lady." She said.

"I know how to treat a lady. I just don't see any around." He said mockingly.

"Come on, guys…." Goku began, trying to stop the oncoming word fight.

"Oh, that's because there are no mirrors around." Bulma said.

Vegeta frowned and growled at her, but he didn't move from his position. He was leaning casually on the locker, his arms crossed. He would've moved in front of her to intimidate her, but he didn't know if he could move without wincing.

"Feeling proud of your comebacks? Must be nice to have your brain working once in a while." He said.

"Guys!"

"Whatever. I just came here to tell you that we got an A in the math's test."

"And? I already knew that. All the answers were correct." He said.

"Yeah, well, since we did so well, the teacher wants us to work together again for the next assignment." She said.

"Oh, for fuck's sake." He said under his breath. "You've got to be joking."

"I wish I was. I tried to convince him to change us, believe me, but he didn't budge."

"Whatever." Vegeta growled.

"Okay, so we have to solve a few points in the book, so I guess we can meet up in the afternoon and – "

"No." Vegeta growled, tensing up. "I'll solve half and you'll solve half."

"Not a chance. You always forget your homework." She said.

"I won't." he said.

"Vegeta, I won't fail just because you go out to get your ass beaten by other gangs and whatnot."

Vegeta growled inhumanly at her, his fists tightening.

"I won't fucking meet up in the afternoon, got it? And you know nothing, you little slut, so don't fucking try to patronize me. I'll do fucking half and you'll do fucking half and that will be it." He said. He pushed himself off of the locker, stifling a grunt, and walked away.

Goku grabbed Bulma's arm before she could stomp behind him in anger.

"Fuck you!" she shouted at him, making everyone in the hall turn to look.

"Bulma, leave him. He's had a rough day."

"Rough day my ass. He's a jerk!" she said. "No wonder they beat him up, he probably spends his days insulting other people until they explode and gang him up!"

"Bulma, you don't know." Goku said, his voice hardening.

Bulma rolled her eyes and walked away, anger seeping through her being.

…

 _"Please, please…" he begged, but Frieza didn't relent._

 _The whip crashed against his back again and he screamed, tears rolling down his cheeks. Frieza had been whipping him for hours, and he was sure there wasn't anymore skin on his back, but Frieza kept on swishing the horrible tool._

 _"Should've thought better before breaking my window, huh?" the man growled, a cruel smile drawn on his face._

 _"I'm… sorry…" he said between sobs. In reality it hadn't been him, it had been Tarble. He had been preparing Trunks's bottle when it happened… but of course, he took the blame. It was one of the first times Frieza beat him with a whip, since he had been with the man for only a few weeks. He continued screaming as the whip continued ripping into his flesh. "Please!"_

 _Frieza finally stopped, but Vegeta only realised it because of the horrible sound stopping. The pain was extremely intense, and he felt like throwing up. He could feel the blood staining the back of his pants. He pleaded in his mind for it to end. What had he done to deserve such torture?_

 _The monster put the bloodied whip on the table and walked around Vegeta very slowly, admiring his body. He had beaten the boy severely before whipping him, so bruises and cuts were forming on his shaking body. His back was ripped open, the gashes and welts crisscrossing each other so much that he could barely see a few small patches of skin. He stopped when he was in front of him and smiled at Vegeta's pleading gaze. Tears were coursing down his face in rivers and his scowl was gone, replaced by fear, pain, and begging. He laughed._

 _"I took you in after you father died, and your mother abandoned you like the little rat you are. And you repay me by destroying the property I let you inhabit." he growled. He smashed a fist into Vegeta's bruised face, making him cry out. "What do you suggest I do to relieve myself of all this anger I have towards you?"_

 _Vegeta shuddered and closed his eyes, trying to stop his sobs, but he was so scared and in so much pain._

 _"Please. Please. It was an accident." he said, his voice shaking and cracking._

 _Frieza smiled before sinking his fist deep into Vegeta's stomach. The blow was so hard, that blood came out of his mouth on impact, and he was left gaping and gasping like a dying fish, his feet scrambling below him to try to support him to relieve the pain on his wrists. He tried to scream, but he couldn't get air into his lungs._

 _Until Frieza attacked again, that is._

 _The man swung his leg forward with all his strength. The impact, combined with the metal tip of his boot, and Vegeta's tensed leg, immediately broke his left shin. The young boy screamed his lungs out, the crack resonating throughout the basement. He wept with strength, the pain running up into his hip. Star spopped in his vision and he began to black in and out of consciousness. He thanked the heavens before he passed out._

 _He woke up, unfortunately, about fifteen minutes later. He immediately began to sob. His left leg was hurting so much that he almost wanted it cut off. Frieza was smiling at him and he shook in absolute fear._

 _"Please, no more." he said under his breath. "It hurts, please."_

 _"And it will hurt a lot more." Frieza growled, before crashing his heavy boot against his right knee. Vegeta screamed again to the top of his lungs, his arms pulling at the rope. He couldn't take it, it was too painful. He dry heaved before passing out again. When he came to, Frieza was insanely close to him. His entire body was convulsing and he couldn't even speak. He didn't have any strength left. The monster reached up and grabbed his hand, which was still tied high above his head. He grabbed one of his fingers and in one swift motion, ripped it out of it's socket. Vegeta screamed, pleading and crying, but Frieza simply moved to the next finger, and the next, and next._

 _"PLEASE! Please! Nooo! Please, it hurts!" he cried, before he finally blacked out for good._

Vegeta woke up in cold sweat. He gasped for air, his heart racing.

He looked around, before he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at the ceiling of his room before the pain from his constant jerking and tossing around in bed from his nightmare seeped into his nerves. He swallowed and tried to ignore it before trying to fall asleep again. If he stayed awake thinking about his nightmare, he'd get into deep depression, and he didn't have time for that.

He had school the next day.

...

There you go!

Reviews are very much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

_I don't own anything._

 **Warning:** Child abuse.

* * *

"Hey, Vegeta." Maroon said seductively from behind him.

Vegeta slowly turned to face her, looking at her from above his nose as if she were some worthless insect stuck on his sole.

"Maroon." He said.

"I was just wondering if you and your friends are going to my birthday party on Friday." She said, bating her eyelashes and flashing one of her most alluring smiles.

Vegeta considered his options. He hated spending time with people at school, but hanging out with his friends relaxed him and distracted him from his horrendous life. Besides, anything that kept him away from Frieza was welcome.

"Perhaps." He said, as he started walking towards his next classroom.

"Oh, come on! It'll be super-fun! Everyone is invited but of course you're our main V.I.P." she said in a seductive tone, wiggling her eyebrows.

Vegeta almost laughed out loud at her attempt at flirting.

"I'll think about it."

"Just remember that there's a very high chance of repeating what happened on Clara's birthday party." She giggled before walking away with a spring in her step. Vegeta rolled his eyes as he remembered. It had been at the end of the previous school year. He was drunk, and to be honest, Maroon was hot; so one thing had led to another. And it hadn't been the first time either. He wasn't proud of it, but he found that being with girls that wanted to sleep with him or have a make-out session was a wonderful stress-relief. It was not like any of them was actually _in love_ with him, so nobody would get hurt in the end.

He entered the classroom and sat next to Radditz, who was flirting with a girl sitting behind him.

He turned around when Vegeta sat down.

"Hey, Vegeta." He greeted.

"Radditz." He said as he took his notebook out.

"Did you hear about Maroon's party?"

"Yeah."

"Please tell me you're going."

Vegeta frowned.

"Why?"

"Well, girls are usually flirty with us, but when you go they go crazy! C'mon, man. Take one for the team." He joked. Vegeta chuckled humorlessly. Radditz leaned closer to him and smiled naughtily. "I want to score with Mariah Sanders."

"Isn't she dating Turles?"

Radditz shrugged.

"We'll see who gets her on Friday."

Vegeta rolled his eyes and shook his head.

* * *

"Are we going to Maroon's party?" Eighteen asked as they fixed their hair and makeup in the girl's bathroom.

"Do we have to?" Chichi groaned.

"I'm not crazy about the party, but I think we deserve some wild fun. Besides, I know our boys are dying to go." Bulma said.

"Ugh, fine. I just hate it when Goku hangs out with the football team."

"Do you think Vegeta will go?" Bulma asked. Chichi and Eighteen looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Probably. He's Maroon's number one guest, and all of his friends are going." Eighteen said.

"That is, if he doesn't get crippled in another stupid streetfight." Chichi said.

"Ugh, I hope he doesn't go. It'd ruin my night." Bulma said, making her friends roll their eyes again.

* * *

"Looking healthy." Goku said as they changed into their Martial Arts outfits.

"Frieza has been lenient this week." Vegeta said. "I think he's gotten home tired from work, so…"

Goku nodded and smiled.

"That's good."

"It won't last long." Vegeta said softly.

Goku put an arm on his shoulder and smiled encouragingly when Vegeta looked at him. The shorter boy grunted in response and got up from the bench, walking over to the door of the Gym.

* * *

"V'geta." Trunks said as he entered Vegeta's room. The older boy was sitting on his small desk, trying to do his homework. He turned to look at his little brother. "Do you want to pway?"

Vegeta smiled warmly at him.

"I can't. I have to finish my homework. Did you finish yours?"

"Yes." Trunks said proudly. "But I wanna pway! Tawble is asleep so he can't."

"Why don't you watch some TV while I finish here, okay? Then we'll play whatever you want." Vegeta said.

"Okay." Trunks sighed as he walked back to his room.

Unfortunately, he wasn't done by the time Frieza arrived.

He heard the car pulling into the driveway and he slowly closed his math's book, figuring he would finish later. He walked into his sibling's bedroom and noticed that both were fast asleep. Sighing, he quietly closed the door as he braced himself for that night, hoping that his uncle was still in his lenient mood.

He sat on his bed, waiting.

Frieza walked up the stairs and stopped at his door.

"Waiting for me?" he asked with a sick smile. Vegeta didn't answer, didn't even look at him. "Oh, so you're going to ignore me, huh?"

"No, sir." He said between clenched teeth. Frieza scoffed and walked over to him. Vegeta immediately got up and backed up into the wall.

"How was your day, my son?"

Vegeta's whole body tensed up. He wanted to scream that he wasn't Frieza's son, but his body was still in a healing process, so he kept his anger in check.

"Fine." He said.

Frieza smiled.

"Let's go downstairs."

Vegeta followed him, dreading what was about to come. As they reached the first floor, Frieza turned to him, smiling sadistically.

"Are your brothers asleep?"

"Yes."

"Good." Frieza growled, before he slammed an incredibly hard fist into Vegeta's face, throwing him to the ground. He knelt beside the boy and slammed his fists into every part of his body that he could reach. His face, his chest, his stomach, his legs. Vegeta screamed and writhed, trying to drag himself away, but it was no use. Waves of pain washed over him and he tried to curl into a ball, but it only made things worse. Frieza's strong fists impacted with even more strength into his body, until a cruel punch to his stomach left him breathless and unable to scream anymore.

Frieza got up, flinging his fists to get rid of the blood, and kicked the gasping boy on the side of his ribs, making him roll onto his stomach, a stifled crack resonating throughout the living room.

Frieza lifted his foot high in the air, his fancy black shoe shinning in the light, before he slammed it down on Vegeta's back.

Vegeta opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Tears welled in his eyes and he tried to drag himself away, but Frieza halted his effort by slamming his foot on the back of his head, slamming his face against the floor. Vegeta cried out.

"You are a worthless animal." Frieza said. "You're disgusting. Not even worthy of the love of a mother. You should just give up and kill yourself."

Vegeta's body filled with imaginable anger, born from a deep feeling of pain from the foul words. He growled.

"Shut up." He said under his breath. Frieza laughed.

He knelt down again and slammed his knee into Vegeta's side, making him cry out. Then he grabbed his shoulder, sinking his nails into his skin and drawing blood, and forced him onto his back. He tightened his fists and smiled insanely before slamming them against his stomach and face, drawing choked cries from the boy and streams of blood from his lips. Each blow was extremely agonizing, sending pain throughout his body like fire. He tried to keep his tears at bay, but the fists didn't stop. The first tear rolled down his cheek and he closed his eyes shut at Frieza's laughter as he continued slamming his powerful fists into the poor boy's flesh.

After what seemed like hours of horrible agony, Frieza stopped. Vegeta was gasping, trying to choke back his sobs. Blood ran down his face in cascades, mixing with his tears and sweat, and his eyes were wide from the horror of it all.

"Beating you is wonderful therapy." Frieza said, slamming another fist into Vegeta's ribs.

"Stop." Vegeta choked out, clenching his eyes shut. "Please."

He flinched heavily as the pair of hands closed around his neck, and squeezed. Vegeta's eyes bulged and he grabbed his guardian's wrists, trying to pry his neck free, but his strength slowly vanished as oxygen was denied.

Frieza laughed at Vegeta's violent struggles in his grasp, before the boy finally passed out.

* * *

"Fuck." Goku said under his breath as he watched Vegeta limping into the classroom.

His left eye was swollen and squinted against the pain, and there was a large bruise on his cheekbone. His bottom lip was also swollen and there was another bruise on his temple. He wore a loose scarf around his neck, and Goku knew that nasty, finger-shaped bruises raged below it.

He sat next to his friend, his face tightening with pain, and he sighed heavily.

"Vegeta…" Goku said.

"Don't start." Vegeta cut him off. "I'm fine."

Goku pursed his lips. At least he wasn't trembling horribly or unable to speak from the pain. That was something.

* * *

"Did you finish your homework?" Bulma asked him as he stiffly sat down next to her. The teacher had found it very amusing to keep the pairs together for every homework and group work until he ordered otherwise. He nodded and took his notebook out.

"Did you?" he growled.

"Of course I did. Unlike some people, I spend my nights studying and sleeping, not looking for gang fights."

Vegeta growled again. "You know nothing."

"Whatever. As long as you do your part of the assignment I wont meddle in your business." She said, rolling her eyes.

"Good."

"I just think that you should stop that. They'll kill you one of these days."

"I thought you didn't care." He said.

"I don't." she said a little too fast. "It's just my opinion."

"Yeah, well, keep your damn opinions to yourself." He said.

Bulma was about to say something, but Vegeta's eyes shifted. It was something only visible to the mind's eye, but there was something dark and cold in his eyes and she furrowed her eyebrows. Had she hit some sort of chord? Did Vegeta even have chords?

"Okay, just give me your paper and I'll staple them together. "

* * *

Friday night had finally arrived.

Vegeta's body had healed somewhat, and after taking a few powerful painkillers, he was ready for the night.

Maroon's house was quite big, and the music was blasting throughout it like a nightclub. Lights flickered on and off, in every colour possible. There were various kinds of alcohol all scattered around the house, and everyone was screaming and laughing and dancing.

Vegeta was sitting on a couch with the rest of the football team and some cheerleaders who were trying to flirt with them. One of them was sitting next to him, clinging to his arm and inching closer and closer to his lap. Vegeta had to gather every ounce of self-control not to push her away. He was still too sober for that. But he was having a good time, laughing with his friends and numbing his body with alcohol so the bruises didn't hurt as much.

Around 11 p.m., he got up to go to the bathroom, wrenching his arm free from the girl sitting next to him, and crossed the hall. However, as he was walking towards it, the door opened. First, Goku and Chichi walked inside, and him and Vegeta shook hands, Goku placing a hand on Vegeta's shoulder and exchanging a few words. But Vegeta was instantly distracted.

Bulma walked inside.

She looked stunning.

She had a white, loose, long-sleeved shirt with just the perfect amount of cleavage, and a short black skirt. Her make-up and long, straight, blue hair were perfect, and the smile that shone on her face as she walked inside froze Vegeta's body, before heat burst from his chest. Goodness, she was beautiful.

Before he could recover and close his open mouth, Yamcha walked through the door. The idiot smiled as he grabbed her hand and gave her a peck on the cheek and Vegeta's beating heart instantly grew dark. Anger flashed inside his mind and he growled, startling Goku, who mistook his anger.

"Oh, come on. You don't even have to speak to her. She'll be with Yamcha all night and you can score with your girls." he laughed, before walking away.

And Vegeta's anger escalated into a new plateau.

And he couldn't even understand why. Bulma was his archenemy, the bane of his existence, the birthmother of his hatred. Then how come he didn't feel that way?

* * *

 _The first glimpse into BxV._

 _Please review :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for the reviews! I don't own anything._

* * *

 _"Hello?"_ the woman said from the other side of the phone.

Vegeta swallowed nervously.

"Mom." he said. "It's me."

 _"Oh... Vegeta. Hi. I'm a bit busy now."_

"I know." he said hastily. "Don't hang up on me. I'll be quick."

 _"Okay. What's wrong?"_

"I... I got fired, and I haven't been able to get another job." he said, his stomach knotting as he heard his mother sigh heavily. "I'm running out of money, and - "

 _"I... I gave you a hundred dollars last time."_ she said softly, sighing.

"That was months ago!" he growled, his fists clenching. "Mom, please. Frieza isn't giving us food and I'm running out of money. I-I need to feed Tarble and Trunks."

 _"Vegeta... it's too dangerous."_ she said. Vegeta closed his eyes as her voice trembled. _"What if he tracks me down?"_

"I'll go to your house and pick it up. He won't even notice, I swear." he said. "You know he would let them starve to death."

 _"Vegeta..."_

"Mom, I haven't asked you to take us in in a long time, or to come back. I know you won't. But please, Frieza would enjoy watching my brothers suffer from hunger." he said. "I-I can't... I can't do anything about it."

 _"Fine."_ she said after a long silence. _"I'll be home at 8 p.m. Be there by then, and I'll give you what I can get."_

"Thank you, Mom. Thank - " he got interrupted as she hung up the phone on him. He swallowed the lump in his throat, hanging up as well and got out of the telephone cabin down the street.

* * *

Raniya opened the door, nervously.

The beaten face of her son greeted her and she swallowed as a heavy knot formed in her throat. His eyes were swollen and bruises raged on his cheeks, jaw and temples. Small cuts littered his face, and there was a slight trembling to his body.

"Vegeta." she said softly, attempting to smile.

"Mom." he answered, sounding extremely strong for someone who had obviously been badly beaten recently.

The woman reached up to touch his face, and almost started crying when he flinched heavily. Furrowing her eyebrows, she placed a hand on his cheek. Vegeta looked away, but didn't pull away from her touch. It was soothing, almost like she still loved him. He knew she didn't, but still... anything was better than what he constantly received: knuckles slamming into his face. She slowly grabbed his chin and pulled his face softly to the side, looking at the purple splotches of pain closely. Vegeta closed his eyes as a choked sob emerged from her throat.

She began to turn his face to the other side, but Vegeta gently grabbed her wrist and pulled it away.

"I'm fine." he said in a quiet whisper.

"When was the last time he beat you?" she asked in a very strained voice.

"Last night." he said. "It was nothing. I've had much worse."

"I know." she said, remembering all the times he had come to her house with much worse injuries: Broken bones, bleeding gashes, things impaled into his body that he couldn't take out by himself... at least he wasn't crying and begging. She swallowed as her eyes watered. "I'm so sorry."

He glared at her. 'If you were truly sorry, you'd take us in.', he thought. But he didn't say anything. He just stared at her. A lone tear ran down her face and she immediately turned away from him, grabbing the envelope from the table next to the door.

"There's... there's 200 dollars in it. That's all I could get." she said softly.

He grabbed it and placed it in his jacket pocket.

"Thank you."

"How-how are they?" she asked, her voice thick. She hadn't seen them since she had left, although Vegeta had begged her to at least visit. But she knew that she wasn't strong enough.

"They're fine." Vegeta said. He cracked a small smile. "Tarble looks like Dad."

She nodded as more tears ran down her face.

"I'll see, you then." she said softly, before closing the door.

Vegeta tried with all his might not to spill any tears.

* * *

Mr. Zorn smiled at his class.

"Well, guys. Today I'll explain our term project. Remember it's 30% of your final grade, so please pay attention." he said. "I've already arranged the pairs, judging on how you all work so much better when we decide who you work with." he added as everyone groaned and complained in whispers. "The point of the project is to learn how to describe a character completely, with their life story, characteristcs, hobbies, pet peeves, etc. Only your character will be your partner. That means that in the next few days, you'll have to spend a lot of time with them.

"The point of the project is that you learn as much as possible from your partners and their lifestyle. That includes constant interviews to the person, their families, their friends... Spend time with them, their families, get to know them, everything." as he scanned the classroom, he spotted Vegeta's pale face and wide, panicked eyes. "But, if your partner wishes not to tell you something, that's alright. For instance, if for some reason they don't want you to meet their families, you have to respect that."

Vegeta sighed and relaxed. It would've been a disaster. The task still annoyed him to no end, though.

"You'll have to write an essay talking about your partner. It has to be extremely accurate. It will be graded in three parts: Grammar, spelling, and general organisation of the text will be one; creativity will be another, that means the way you describe your partner, it has to be creative and interesting; and the third one will be Collaboration. You will have the opportunity to write an opinion paragraph on your partner. If your partner wasn't collaborative, and didn't help you out with your essay, they will get a bad grade. You can also talk to me if you have any problem with them."

He quieted for a moment to let the information sink in before he began to name the pairs.

"Bulma Briefs...and Vegeta Ouji."

"Oh, you've got to be joking!" Vegeta complained.

"Are you for real?" Bulma whined.

"Is there a problem?" the teacher said, his voice straining with anger.

"Do you teachers have some sort of meeting where the general topic is pairing blue hair and me?" Vegeta said.

"Stop complaining and learn to tolerate." he said, before he continued reading the list.

When the class was over, Bulma walked over to him. He glared at her.

"Okay, tough boy, like or not we have to do this." she said. "I hate you, but I'll try to be as positive as possible for this thing, alright? I'm willing to work and treat each other humanly if you are."

"Whatever." he growled.

"We can meet up today after school - Don't interrupt me. Just hear me out." she said as he opened his mouth to complain. "Let's meet up, just half an hour. Nothing long. Just outside the school, so nobody will go to nobody's house. You'll tell me a bit about you, and I'll tell you a bit about me, so we can't get a startup. Is that okay with you?"

He sighed heavily and nodded.

* * *

Bulma waited until Vegeta walked out of the school grounds to meet her. They sat on a small bench outside, awkwardly, and both took their notebooks out.

"Okay, I'll start, I guess." she said after a long silence. "My name is Bulma Briefs and I'm fifteen years old. Uh, lets see. I live in Capsule Corporation Mansion with my parents, and I have no siblings. We don't own any pets per se, but my dad has a lot of animals in a small zoo in the house. My favourite subjects are Science, English, and I guess P.E. I'm the captain of the Volleyball team, and Head of the Debate Club, and the Science Club. Uhm... I have a boyfriend, his name is Yamcha." Vegeta rolled his eyes at that, but she didn't seem to notice. "My best friend is Chichi Ox. My hobbies include spending time in the lab, inventing stuff or helping my dad with some of his projects, reading, spending time with my boyfriend and friends and playing volley."

She noticed that Vegeta's handwriting wasn't horrible and shaky anymore. She wondered if he had been trying to improve it.

Vegeta read the list of questions that Zorn had given them.

"Uh... what do you want to be when you grow up?" he asked in a bored voice.

"Oh, well. I'm going to inherit Capsule Cop someday, so I guess something related to science. I love science and mechanics, and building machines and stuff." as she spoke, Vegeta noticed the glint her eyes got and he couldn't help but loosen his frown a little. Without the contempt on her face, and the hatred and anger she had when she spoke to him, her face looked even more beautiful. "It's like building a world." she looked at him and giggled. "You must think I'm mad. Let's talk about you."

Vegeta took a deep breath.

"My name is Vegeta Ouji, I'm fifteen years old... I live in the mansion behind Kold Enterprises." he began. "As I'm sure you know, my father died when I was ten, so I live with my uncle and my two siblings."

"You have siblings? I didn't know that! How old are they?" she squealed excitedly.

"Tarble is six and Trunks is four." he answered, hastily changing the topic of his family. "My favourite subjects are P.E and Maths. Uh, I'm the captain of the football team, and head of the Martial Arts club... My hobbies include training and playing football... and I don't know what I want to do when I grow up."

"Alright." Bulma said, scanning the list of questions. "How about your friends?"

"I mostly hang out with the football team. I guess Kakkarot would be my closest friend." he said.

"What about your gang?" she asked. "The people you fight with."

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't have a gang. Streetfights just... happen. I don't want to talk about it."

"That's okay. Well, I guess we have something. Hey, why don't we meet up for lunch tomorrow? We can share a bit more."

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed. "What else do you need to know?"

"I think we need to talk normally, just a conversation."

Vegeta chuckled darkly. "Really, Briefs? You hate me. How much of a conversation do you think we can have?"

"Well, you hate me, too. But we can be civilised young adults for an hour, can't we?" she said, flashing a smile.

"Your boyfriend and your friends - "

"They will have to understand that it's for academic purposes." she said as she put her notebook away. "So, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Guess so."

* * *

It was extremely awkward at first. Vegeta refused to talk to Bulma more than necessary, and it exasperated the young heiress so much that they'd end up getting into word fights very often. Their first lunch together ended up in disaster, with Vegeta walking away and Bulma at the verge of throwing a spoonful of mashed potatoes at him.

But Bulma's GPA was above everything, so she insisted, even if her pride suffered a little. She sought him out, and eventually got him to meet up with her after school again. She found out that nobody had ever matched her wit like him. He had an answer for everything she said, and sometimes, even if she hated to admit it, his comebacks made her laugh. They began to meet up in the afternoons very often, only half an hour because he was always in a hurry, and the conversations soon became extremely interesting for her, filled with small, exciting word fights and deep debates. Vegeta knew almost as much as she did in most topics. She found herself looking forward to meeting him after school.

For Vegeta, it was a bit less exciting. He liked to talk to Bulma, because she didn't stand down when he insulted her. She answered back, and it was very exciting for him to finally have someone who didn't bend to his will. She was very smart and a bit cheery, so she always had funny anecdotes or comments that, even when he didn't want to hear them, she'd tell him. His hatred for her was slowly receding... and it scared him like crap. He didn't understand the feelings that she provoked in him. And he knew that she was taken, by the douchy-est douche in the world. But nobody had ever made him feel so entertained just by talking. It almost distracted him from thinking about the abuse.

There was some sort of friendship developing between them. It was hard to be friends with Vegeta, but something was boiling between them.

And, like in any Highschool, rumours began to spread.

After a few days, Nappa threw a knowing look at Vegeta when Bulma smiled at him and he nodded at her as a way of saying hi when they passed each other on the hall.

"Well done." the enormous teen said.

"What?" Vegeta said, confused.

"Banging the Briefs chick." the guy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?" Vegeta said, his voice raising. He stopped misstep and glared at him. "What the hell are you saying?"

"Everyone knows. That's why you've been spending so much time together."

"I've been spending time with her because we have that stupid English project together." he said.

"Yeah, right. Whatever." Nappa said. "I have to say, you've stepped up your game. Maroon was great, but scoring with Bulma Briefs? That's rich."

"Nappa." Vegeta growled. "If you fucking say that to anyone else, I'll kick your balls so hard, you'll have to learn to pee sitting. It isn't true, got it?"

Nappa paled and nodded.

...

"Yamcha!" Bulma said, rolling her eyes. "Why would you believe such a thing?"

"I don't." he said. "But how do you think it makes me look, B? Everyone thinks I'm an idiot."

"And why do you care?" she said.

Yamcha sighed.

"You're right." he said. "But... listen. I know it's an academic thing and all but, is it okay if you see him a bit less?"

Bulma smiled slightly. "Alright. I'll see him as less as possible."

* * *

Vegeta's concern for the rumours faded quickly. That same night his main concern became Frieza's fists on his body. The man was enraged, because he had had trouble signing a contract. The beating left him breathless and unable to move. The bruises spurted in angry colours on his torso, his ribs so injured that he couldn't breathe or straighten up without feeling hot daggers sinking into his lungs. The man had crushed the fingers of his left hand with his own hand, squeezing and twisting them until he heard pops and cracks and Vegeta's screams. Blood rained down his body and face, and when Frieza finally stomped upstairs, Vegeta couldn't move a finger.

It was until at least two hours later that the pain receded somewhat, and he dragged his body to his own room.

The horrible limp, coupled with his inability to move around much, made him extremely late for school.

The biology teacher's eyes widened at Vegeta's appearance. The bruises on his face were enormous, and there was a gash on the side of his face that looked like it had only recently stopped bleeding. He was hunched over, shaking, and with bags under his eyes that only made him look worse.

"What on Earth happened to you? And why are you so late?"

"I had a fight." he said. "And my alarm clock is damaged."

"I won't stand for this, Vegeta." the teacher said angrily. "It's the third time this week. Detention."

Vegeta closed his eyes and winced.

"I'm sorry..."

"Sorry doesn't make you early. You'll stay after school."

* * *

Vegeta was seriously considering not going to detention. His body hurt too much, and he couldn't breathe properly, so he was extremely dizzy. The horrible gashes and cuts from Frieza's metal-tipped boots were only getting worse, no matter how hard he had tried to clean them in the bathroom, and his hand was killing him.

But he didn't, because then it would be worse.

He entered the classroom assigned for detention and sat down slowly, trying not to show any signs of pain.

He was about to fall asleep, when a hysterical girl entered the room.

Bulma, the queen of good behaviour, entered the classroom. Her face was red, from both anger and crying. She still had tears coursing down her face and was sobbing in intervals. She spotted Vegeta looking at her and rolled her eyes, knowing that he'd mock her. She simply sat as far from him as possible, on the front row, since he was sitting in the back. But, the classroom was still empty, so he spoke to her.

"What happened to you?" he asked trying to sound nonchalant.

"That's none of your business." she said between hiccups, still giving her back to him.

Vegeta shrugged and rested his crossed arms on the table, lying his head down on them to get some rest... But Bulma didn't let him.

"Men are such jerks, that's what happened to me!" she said suddenly. Vegeta lifted his head to glare at her, but Bulma was already moving: she grabbed her things and walked over to him, plopping down on the adjoining table. She cleaned her tears with her hands as he stared at her. "Yamcha cheated on me with Maroon." Vegetas eyebrows furrowed. He stared at her while she took out a small mirror from her bag and began to try to wipe the smeared mascara off her face. "Chichi told me that there was a rumour, but I didn't want to believe it. I mean, there are preposterous rumours all around, right? Like the one where you and I..." she looked at him and blushed a little. "Whatever. So I sought him out to tell him about the ridiculous rumor and he- he..." she put the mirror away and put her hands on her face, beginning to cry again. "He was kissing Maroon behind the school!"

Vegeta didn't know what to say. What an awkward situation.

"What got you in detention?" he asked as she slowly calmed down.

She looked up at him, sniffing, and a small smile played on her lips.

"I punched Maroon in the face and kicked Yamcha in the balls." she said softly.

Vegeta stared at her, wide-eyed, before he burst out laughing. Bulma began giggling, and it struck her how she had never seen Vegeta laugh. Soon, she joined him, laughing loud and hard. People began to enter the room then, spotting the King and Queen of school laughing together. Soon, the rumour would get so much worse.

But for the moment, they were laughing, and it was all that mattered.

When the teacher walked in, he quieted them down, although he was surprised to see a smile on Vegeta's face.

When Detention was over, they walked out of the classroom.

"Hey, do you want me to give you a ride? With that limp you'll never make it home."

Vegeta looked at her, considering his options, before accepting.

"I'm actually going to Kakkarot's house. My siblings are there." he said as he got on her car.

The car ride was actually fun. Bulma was done crying and feeling sorry for herself, now she was extremely angry. She insulted Yamcha and Maroon with colourful vocabulary, making Vegeta laugh and release a few curses of his own.

When Bulma reached Goku's house, she smiled at Vegeta.

"I had fun." she said.

The boy cracked a small smile before he walked out of the car. Bulma drove away, smiling, thinking about how ironic it was that the boy she hated the most in the world, was the one who had cheered her up when she was at her worst.

* * *

 _Okay! Big step on the BxV front! I hope you guys like it._

 _And as always, I much appreciate reviews._


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning:** Extreme torture in this chapter.

* * *

The next few days were a bit confusing for everyone. The tension in Bulma's group of friends was extremely awkward. Everyone wanted to be together, but Bulma didn't want to be close to Yamcha, which forced her friends to chose a side. In the end, Goku ended up sitting with the football team, and with Chichi occasionally; Chichi, Bulma, Eighteen and Krillin sat together (the latter out of obligation more than will), and Yamcha began to sit with one of his other friends, Tien, and his girlfriend Launch. He didn't enjoy being the third wheel, but it was better than sitting alone.

However, Bulma didn't stop pestering Vegeta. In fact, she began to talk to him more and more, and to sit with him at lunch, in classes, and even try to hold him up after school for a few minutes, always with the excuse of the essay.

But Vegeta didn't buy it. He knew she was trying to make Yamcha jealous.

It didn't anger him, he enjoyed the man's angry face when he spotted them together, but he did find it annoying.

Finally, after a few days, he asked her. They were sitting together in the cafeteria, and Bulma was batting her eyelashes at him.

"Why do you try so hard to make him jealous?" he said.

Bulma startled.

"What?"

"It's pretty obvious, and a bit pathetic." Vegeta said.

"I'm just hanging out with you to - "

"Get a good grade. I know." he said, rolling his eyes. He picked at his food, smiling when she growled angrily.

"If it bothers you to hang out with me, then I'll leave. It's not like I didn't have any friends. Half the school would kill for me to sit with them." she said, flipping her hair backwards.

"Get over yourself." he said. "Besides, it doesn't bother me. What bothers me is the fact that you think I'm as gullible as the rest of these bastards. I can see through your intentions."

Bulma crossed her arms and stared at him.

"So you think I should spend less time with you to look less pathetic." she said.

He shrugged as he drove a spoonful into his mouth.

"I think you should stop pretending like there's anything more than friendship between us." he said as he swallowed. "Just the fact of sitting together makes him jealous so you can stop taking bites off of my meal and batting your eyelashes at me."

He turned his eyes towards her and laughed at her expression. She sighed and took a spoonful of her meal.

"Fine. You're right."

Deep down, there was a small voice inside Vegeta's head very indignant over the only-friends statement.

* * *

"It's so weird that you spend so much time with him." Chichi said a they changed into their volleyball outfits. "You used to hate him with passion not so long ago. He even called you a bitch on the first day of school."

Bulma shrugged.

"He's a jerk." she granted. "But he's also interesting. I like talking to him."

"Huh, what do you know." Eighteen said. "Things change a lot."

Bulma rolled her eyes.

"Besides, he provides a very decent distraction from Yamcha." she said with a small grin.

"As long as you don't end up dating him, I'm fine. Who knows what his rivalling gangs are capable of. They could end up killing you like in that Gang movie, where they kill the leader's wife to intimidate him." Chichi rambled.

"We're just friends." Bulma assured, feeling a small, almost imperceptible sting in her chest.

* * *

"...And he became the bravest warrior in all of Kingdomland. The End." Vegeta read. He looked up from the book to see that Tarble had fallen asleep, but Trunks was still awake, smiling at him from his bed. "Why aren't you asleep, yet, you squirt?"

"I'm not sleepy." Trunks said. "I want another story!"

Vegeta sighed and got up from the rocking chair, stretching.

"I don't think so, squirt. I'm tired." he said, yawning.

Trunks pouted.

"Can you stay until I fall asleep? Then the mons-tah won't come." he said clenching the sheets.

Vegeta walked over to his brother's bed and sat down at the edge, putting a hand on his forehead.

"There's no such thing as monsters." he said. 'Not your monsters, anyway.' he added mentally.

"But what if there are?" Trunks asked in a whisper, his blue eyes widening. Vegeta caressed his face, smiling sadly.

"Well, then I'll kill them." he answered. "I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you. You know that, right?"

"Yes!" Trunks said excitedly, but then his face turned worried again. "What if Fwieza twies to hurt me?"

Vegeta felt a cold stab in his stomach.

"Why would you even say that?" he said.

"I don't twust Fwieza." he said. "He's scawy."

"He isn't scary." Vegeta said. "He'd never do anything to you. Why would you think he would?"

Trunks shurgged.

"He isn't vewy nice." Trunks said. Vegeta sighed.

"If he ever does anything to harm you, I'll kill him as well." he vowed.

Trunks smiled and extended his tiny arms. Vegeta smiled as well and leaned into the hug, holding his tiny brother protectively, even as waves of despair washed over him. God, how we wished he was anywhere else. Or better yet, that his siblings were anywhere else. Nothing filled him with more fear than Frieza hurting them. He had lost everything in his life: his father, his mother, his heritage... his siblings were everything he had left, and the sole thought of Frieza putting one finger on them terrified him.

But he couldn't help but wonder what would be of them if Frieza killed him? Tears sprang to his eyes and he clutched Trunks closer. He hated his life. He hated himself. He was useless, defenceless... Every moment of his life served to remind him of that. He slowly let go of Trunks and smiled at him. The little boy was already closing his eyes sleepily. He got up from his sitting position and walked back to his room, closing his sibling's door behind him. As he sat on his own bed, deep depression gripped him and he pressed the bottom of his palms to his eyes to avoid crying. He didn't want to live in pain and fear anymore. If he wasn't being beaten savagely or tortured, then he was struggling to walk and breathe from the aftermath of it. And if he wasn't being consumed by anger, then he was consumed by deep fear for his own well-being, or for his siblings. And if not that, then it was these moments of horrible depression where he realised that his life was worthless, just like Frieza said.

The only positive thing about those episodes, was that if he managed to get through them without crying, an all-consuming numbness filled his being, and then he could rest and recover some of his bravery to face Frieza again.

* * *

"Vegeta, can you stay for a moment, please?" Mr. Zorn asked.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and gestured for Bulma to go ahead without him. She shrugged and left for lunch.

"Yes?" he said, annoyed.

"Vegeta..." the teacher began. "I want you to explain something to me."

He opened his briefcase and took a piece of paper out. Vegeta recognised his own shaky hand-writing and furrowed his eyebrows. His eyes widened, however, as Mr. Zorn placed it before him and Vegeta spotted the droplet of blood in the corner. How hadn't he seen it when he had handed it in? Maybe he had been extremely tired. He swallowed.

"What? I dropped some juice on it." he said lamely.

"That's not juice and you and I both know that." the older man said. "Please explain."

"I... I don't..." he struggled, but he couldn't explain.

"The handwriting, too. It's as if your hand was broken when you wrote this. Was it?"

Vegeta swallowed.

"I broke it in an accident. It's healed now."

"A street accident?" the teacher said, raising his eyebrow. Vegeta remained quiet. Mr. Zorn sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before looking at Vegeta with a very serious expression. "I think I will have to call your guardian to tell him."

Vegeta felt his whole body going cold, his stomach opening into a black hole.

"Y-you can't call him." he said in a weak voice. "He-he hates to be bothered with school stuff."

"Well, he'll have to find a way to be un-bothered." Mr. Zorn answered, putting the paper back into his briefcase. "I think it's important that we talk to him about your problem, Vegeta. It isn't normal that you get into fights every night."

"I don't get into fights every night." Vegeta said. "Please, I swear I'll hand in a clean homework next time."

"It's not about the cleanliness, Vegeta. It's about your well-being." Mr. Zorn said, closing the briefcase.

"Please." Vegeta tried, his heart beating so hard in his chest he thought it would jump out of his ribcage. "Don't call him."

Mr. Zorn looked at Vegeta's pleading face for a moment before sighing deeply.

"Why are you so scared of me calling him?" he asked.

"He'll-he'll ground me." the teenager said nervously. "He'll take my cellphone away and cut my allowance in half. He's really strict."

Mr. Zorn looked at Vegeta for a moment before he rubbed his temples and got up. He slowly walked over to the door, looking side to side before closing it. He turned to look at Vegeta, who was a bit pale. The teenager glared at him and Zorn could see his jaw tightening. He sighed through his nose and walked closer to Vegeta, sitting on top of a desk instead of his chair to be closer to him.

"Street fights worry me, but not as much as the thought of your guardian being the cause of those injuries." he said.

Vegeta frowned and his face turned stoic. He was trained for this.

"Why would you say that?" he asked. "My uncle has nothing to do with that."

Zorn had to admit, he sounded extremely convincing. He sighed. He had had the same conversation with Vegeta since the kid had become his student two years prior, but it never changed. It only served to waste both of their times. Up until then, he had never called Frieza, and it looked like the only option left, but he always hesitated. No other teacher backed him up. All of them firmly believed that Vegeta's injuries were his own fault, and that trying to blame Frieza was ridiculous.

He sighed.

"Fine. You can go."

Vegeta sighed in relief and left, his heart beating like bombs in his chest. Little did he know that Zorn hadn't changed his mind.

* * *

That night, Vegeta was writing a History essay when he heard Frieza's car pulling into the driveway. He frowned as he looked over to the clock. It was Wednesday, Frieza wasn't supposed to be home until much later.

He flinched as the man opened the door and slammed it shut. Oh, no. He was angry.

"VEGETA!" he shouted from downstairs.

But Vegeta didn't move. His whole body had frozen up with terror. Why was Frieza so upset? Was he drunk?

He jumped from his chair as he heard loud footsteps stomping up the stairs. He backed up into the wall and prayed for strength, or a short beating. But luck wasn't on his side that night. It seldom ever was. The monster appeared on the doorway of his room, like a physical representation of Vegeta's worst nightmares. Twice taller than him, ten times stronger, and pure, unadulterated rage on his face. Vegeta's eyes looked down at his fists and his knees shook horribly in fear.

"U-uncle..." he said. "Sir..."

"You told them again, didn't you? You ratted me out again like a pathetic little weakling." the man growled, his nostrils flaring.

"Wh-what?" Vegeta said, his voice thin and shaky.

"I received a call today." the man said, slowly walking closer to Vegeta. The boy in turn backed up until he touched the wall. "Some Mr. Zorn who was concerned about your injuries. He started questioning me, telling me that they weren't normal. He ended up practically blaming me for them."

"I didn't tell him anything, I swear." he said. "I swear. He questioned me but I - " he was interrupted as Frieza slammed a fist into his face, instantly busting his lip. He touched the side of his face gingerly. "I didn't tell him anything!" he insisted.

"Stop lying, you little shit." he growled. "Do you think I'm an idiot? Didn't I fucking tell you last time that you opened your mouth that this was our little secret?"

Memories from that night all those years back invaded him and he shook his head, horrified.

"No..." he said weakly. "I-I-I didn't tell Zorn anything. You have to believe me."

"I'll torture you until the whole city hears you scream." he growled. Before Vegeta could react, the man slammed a fist into his head, rendering him unconscious.

When he woke up, he was tied to the ceiling of the basement, only this time Frieza had used another rope: a rope with small shards of glass imbedded into it, which destroyed his wrists even worse than the normal rope. Blood was already running down his forearms. He was shirtless, and freezing, but soon that would become the least of his worries. He could hear Frieza working behind him, the clanking of tools making him shake in absolute terror. Images from his last torture session a few months before, when he had insulted Frieza in a bout of rage, invaded his mind and his stomach dropped.

"I swear it wasn't me. He was just suspicious but I didn't say anything." he tried to reason, but he knew it was too late.

Frieza didn't even answer. He walked over to Vegeta, tool in hand. Vegeta's eyes widened as he saw it. It was a whip, long and heavy, and much like the rope around his wrists, small shards of glass, and long, rusted nails were imbedded into it.

Vegeta grasped every single piece of resolve and bravery he had and glared at Frieza, mustering as fearless a face as he could manage.

"Do your worst." he growled. He was going to get tortured, but he was done with the humiliation. For now at least. He hoped the resolve would last him the whole torture session, but he doubted it.

"Oh, trust me, you little rat. I will."

Then he stroke him, using his whole body motion and full strength.

It landed all across his chest and stomach, blood instantly falling down from one of the nails ripping into his flesh. He cried out, the impact knocking him backwards. The rope instantly cut deep into his flesh, and more blood ran down his arms. But Frieza left no intervals for him to rest, as he slammed the whip down onto his front again and again. Frieza rained deadly hell on him, slamming the torture weapon over and over onto his unprotected flesh. He eventually moved to his back, waves of pain spreading through his entire body. He could feel the whip and nails slicing his skin open mercilessly, making him feel as if he was being burned alive. But it soon got worse. Instead of focusing on only one of his sides, the man began to walk around him as he whipped him, striking him everywhere he could reach, tearing his skin open.

Vegeta was screaming and crying out, the continuous agony of being ripped to shreds burning at the tip of his nerves. It was unbearable. Frieza was hitting so hard and fast, and in so many places that Vegeta felt like he was using more than one whip.

With one last hard strike that landed on the small of his back, Frieza stopped. Vegeta grit his teeth. He felt like vomiting. A lone tear ran down to the tip of his nose as he hung his head, trying his hardest to stop the sobs from spurting, but the pain was too much. He realised he wasn't standing anymore, but hanging from the rope that was practically cutting his hands off.

"Tell me something, Vegeta. What did you think would change? Did you think they'd accuse me, arrest me? Did you think they'd pity you and take you away from me?" Frieza said, examining his punishing tool.

"No." he said through gritted teeth. He opened his eyes and glared at Frieza through watering eyes. "I didn't tell him anything."

"It's a shame really. He seemed to be such a capable teacher, and now I have to get him fired. Maybe even scare him out of the city, just to be sure that he doesn't meddle in our business." the man continued.

Vegeta closed his eyes again and swallowed. He knew it wasn't his fault. He hadn't said anything; the man had asked the questions, but he still felt a bit guilty.

He didn't have much time to dwell on it, though, as Frieza began his onslaught again. This time it was much worse. The injuries had had time to settle into his nerves, and his skin was nowhere near ready for another assault, but Frieza still beat him with it, the bloodied whip landing on previous wounds and it was all too horrible to endure. The cuts turned into gashes, the ruptured flesh tearing even more and the pain multiplying by the second. Soon, tears dropped from his eyes like cascades, and his screams went higher.

"No! Stop!" he said, as Frieza spent extra time hitting the very sensitive small of his back over and over. "Stop! Stop!" it didn't help when he went higher, hitting the rest of his back and surrounded him, hitting the sides and front of his torso. "Stop..." the last one was a choked scream. He refused to plead per se, but it was too much to stay quiet.

When Frieza stopped, Vegeta's eyelids were heavy and his body was practically convulsing. He suspected that if his body had had the strength, he'd throw up.

His respite didn't last long, though.

Frieza took a deep breath and combed his hair with his hand, straightened his shirt, and cleaned the sweat from his brow before smiling insanely.

When another lash landed on his ribs, Vegeta thought Frieza would continue whipping him, but it was much worse. The tyrant began to alternate between punches, kicks, and lashes. Nothing could be worse than his fists on ruptured skin, the impact ramming into the fresh injuries and causing him such deep agony that he felt like he was going to die. He barely noticed when Frieza dropped the whip and simply slammed his fists into his body and face. Vegeta couldn't even gasp for air as blood ran from his mouth and nose as Frieza brutally and mercilessly destroyed his body. Each blow was more painful than the previous one, and the constant impact didn't let him fall into the unconsciousness that his body was so desperately needing.

When Frieza stopped, Vegeta was breathing in short gasps. His face was a mixture of tears, blood and sweat, and his mind was so numb with pain that he could only pray for unconsciousness to take him away. Unfortunately, he could only swim in and out of it.

He was completely jarred out of his half-awake state as ice-cold water landed on his body. He gasped loudly and opened his eyes, blinking furiously. He was shaking so bad from both fear and coldness that the rope was creating a constant stream from his wrists, down his arms and shoulders.

"Now, now." Frieza said as he put the bucket he had used to carry the freezing water on the floor. "You didn't think our fun was over yet, did you?"

Vegeta swallowed as the pain enveloped him once more.

"We have an unresolved issue, you see." the older man continued. He walked closer to Vegeta, making him flinch, and picked up the whip he had dropped. "You seem to have damaged my precious whip. Some of the nails seem to have fallen out. What a shame. What shall you do to repay me?"

"God." Vegeta said, mostly to himself. He simply couldn't take anymore. He couldn't even force his legs to hold him up.

Frieza chuckled and walked behind him, admiring his brutalised back. He smiled and slowly dug a long nail into one of the long gashes. Vegeta gasped in pain and his body spasmed, but he bit his lip to avoid crying out. Frieza pushed his finger forward, until the whole top phalange was inside, and laughed as Vegeta's body convulsed and he whimpered. He quickly ripped it out, laughing at Vegeta's short shriek.

"I think I have the perfect solution. Your body ripped the nails from my whip, so let's get these nails imbedded into _your_ body instead!" he said excitedly.

Vegeta shuddered and his jaw shook as he felt the urge to cry.

"Please, no." he said, giving up. "Don't, please."

But Frieza slowly picked up the nails that had fallen off, laughing as Vegeta struggled in vain to set his arms free, small moans coming from his throat from the fear that was biting at him. Frieza walked close to him, until they weren't even an arm's length apart, and opened his palms, showing Vegeta the twisted, rusted nails in his hands. Vegeta's horrified face fuelled the man's excitement as he practically skipped over to the table and grabbed a small mallet of some sort. Vegeta went into full-panic, pulling relentlessly at the ropes and pleading with Frieza.

"No, no, please! No!"

But the monster paid him no mind. He walked close to Vegeta and placed one of the nails below his right shoulder blade, his lips twisting into a cruel smile. And then he hammered.

Vegeta screamed his throat out as the nail sank into his flesh. It was so unbelievably painful.

Frieza laughed and chose another spot, this time closer to the small of his back. He placed the nail, slowly digging it into the first layers of Vegeta's flesh. The boy moaned and whimpered, before Frieza slammed the hammer onto the nail. Vegeta screamed again, this time blacking out for a moment or two. When he came to again, Frieza was placing another nail on the side of his torso. He sobbed and closed his eyes, pleading mentally for anything to save him from that hell.

His scream turned into uncontrollable sobs when Frieza drove that one in. He couldn't stop the sobs and whimpers this time. He could feel every nail driven into his body, tearing his body apart, infecting it.

Frieza rounded him, stopping right in front of him. He smiled that horrible, insane smile that haunted Vegeta's nightmares and the boy closed his eyes shut.

"Where shall this one go? Maybe on your pretty little face?" the man said. Vegeta moaned in fear and pain, and Frieza laughed. He placed the nail against Vegeta's temple and for a moment, half of Vegeta's mind wished for him to just drive the nail into his head and kill him once and for all. But the tyrant simply dragged the nail downwards, creating a long, bleeding cut all along his face.

"Please!" Vegeta screamed.

"Let's see." Frieza said, as he placed the nail between Vegeta's ribs, and hammered.

Vegeta's head went numb again, and he couldn't even place the parts of his body where Frieza drove the rest of the nails into. He was vaguely aware of some of them invading the front and back of his ribs, and a few on his lower stomach. One went into his shoulder, too. It was a pity that Frieza knew so much about anatomy. None of the nails hit any vital organs, and they could rest in his body for days before there was any death-threat to Vegeta. But the pain was unbearable, it felt like rods impaling his body.

Frieza finally freed his hands from the rope, and Vegeta's body crashed onto the floor, shaking and convulsing. The nails rattled against the floor and he writhed in pain, crying and coughing. He suddenly felt a strong urge to drink water. He was so thirsty, and dizzy.

He instinctively curled into a ball when Frieza laughed, trying to ignore the agony in his body as his wounds stretched and twisted, and the nails moved around his flesh.

"Did you learn your lesson?" Frieza asked. Vegeta didn't answer. The monster knelt down before his face, making him flinch away, and grabbed the head of one of the nails and twisted it, making Vegeta scream again. "Did you?"

"Y-y-yes." Vegeta whimpered hoarsely and brokenly.

"Tell me, then. Tell me you won't be a little snitch next time. Tell me how useless you are. How your own mother hates you... Tell me how I'm your owner." he said. Vegeta remained quiet, whimpers escaping the back of his throat. Frieza frowned and punched one of the nails between his ribs, driving it deeper into Vegeta's body.

"Ahhh! God! Please!" he screamed between shuddering sobs.

"Say it."

"I-I-I... I won't be a s-s-snitch." he said. Frieza reached around his body and fingered the nail placed on the small of his back, before twisting and pushing that one as well. "Please, please! God, please!" Vegeta begged, his hand grabbing at Frieza's arm weakly. "I-I-I'm useless. M-m-m-my m-mom h-hates me." he said, feeling a deep ache in his heart. Frieza knew that that was one of his weak spots. "Y-y-you..." he swallowed, but he simply couldn't say it. He wasn't Frieza's property!

"I'm what?" Frieza asked as he moved to another nail, doing the same. "Say it."

Vegeta tried to remain strong, tried not to give in. He knew that admitting it would destroy him emotionally. But Frieza's methods were incredibly convincing.

"Unless of course, you'd like your siblings to receive what I just gave you." he whispered evilly.

Vegeta turned his head slightly, pressing his face against the floor.

"You own me." he whispered.

"I can't hear you."

"You own me!" he said in a slightly louder voice. Something inside him broke. Depression washed over him like a typhoon. He cried strongly, unable to stop his sobs and whimpers. He couldn't move his body away from Frieza, and deep shame mixed with his darkness: Frieza was watching him cry like a small child. But he couldn't stop. He didn't have the strength, emotional or physical. He was broken.

Frieza made a mocking sound as he smiled, and he stood up, before slamming his boot against Vegeta's temple, finally granting him the unconsciousness he was craving so much.

* * *

Goku worried when Vegeta didn't show up the next day. There was a strange feeling of foreboding. He called him during lunch, but he didn't pick up. Bulma asked him about Vegeta, too, and even texted him, but he didn't answer either.

Vegeta was in absolutely no condition to go to school. The nails were getting infected, the welts on his body prevented him from moving, and the bruises on top of them felt like Frieza was still beating him. But the monster forced him to go on Friday anyway.

Vegeta went to first and second periods, but he couldn't make it to third. The pain was simply too much. Tears began running down his face as soon as he locked the bathroom door, and he threw up several times. He had tried to pull the nails out, but he was too weak to do it and the added pain made it impossible. He hadn't even been able to get dressed properly. He was only wearing an extremely big hoodie that hung from his body and barely touched the injuries, and he didn't know if he was cold because he wasn't wearing anything else, or he just had chills running up and down his body from the injuries and infection.

He skipped most of the classes, and hung up the phone on his friends, who were trying to reach him. They had football practice that day, after all.

But he knew that Frieza wouldn't take them out, and he couldn't stand much longer. He had to get help.

Goku was walking to his next class when Vegeta intercepted him. The boy was extremely pale and shaky. Bruises, as usual, marred his face, and a long, nasty cut ran down the left side of his face.

"Vegeta! Jesus, are you alright? You've skipped every class, and even football practice."

"I-I need your help." he whispered hoarsely, before he led the way into the boy's bathroom.

Once they were locked inside, alone, Goku began to ask questions.

"What's wrong? What did he do to you? Is everything alright?"

"Shut up, Kakkarot." Vegeta said. He swallowed before he took various things from his backpack, moving slowly and shakily. He took out some pliers, gauze, and alcohol. Then he turned to his friend, his eyes watering. "Zorn called Frieza, and questioned him about my physical state."

"Oh, no." Goku whispered, driving a shaking hand to his mouth.

"And Frieza tortured me." Vegeta whispered, his stoic face cracking into a grimace. "I'll show you, but you have to be ready."

"I-I am." Goku said, trying to picture the worst case scenario to prepare himself. But nothing could prepare him for what he saw once Vegeta removed his hoodie.

The horrible, bloodied welts invaded his body, turning his skin into shreds that were surely putting Vegeta through the seven pits of hell and back. Goku wondered how the boy was moving at all. But that wasn't the worst part.

When he spotted the nails, the taller boy wanted to throw up.

"Oh, God. Oh, God. Vegeta." he said, his whole body trembling.

Vegeta grabbed the pliers with shaky hands and handed them to Goku.

"Please, take them out." he whispered. "They hurt."

"I-I can't." Goku said. "Vegeta, you need to go to the hospital. I'm not a doctor. I could damage your body further."

"Kakkarot." Vegeta's voice shook. He was too emotionally destroyed to try to boss the boy around. "Please, I'm begging you. They hurt so bad."

Goku swallowed and grabbed the pliers with an extremely shaky hand. He looked into Vegeta's red, wet eyes and nodded.

"You should probably sit down." Goku said, his voice shaking as well.

Vegeta sat on the floor, facing the wall and giving his back to Goku so that he could take those out first. Goku took a deep breath and sat behind him. He swallowed heavily, and placed the pliers around the first nail. Vegeta flinched wildly and grabbed his sweater, biting down on it to muffle the scream that he was sure was coming. But nothing could prepare him for when Goku began to pull. He screamed out, clenching the sweater his his hands and teeth, tears running down his face.

Goku felt like crying, too. Blood seeped from the injury and the nail was so stuck that it took him a few pulls before Vegeta's body released it. He threw the nail to the floor, trying to ignore the weeping wound, and moved to the next.

When he reached the third, Vegeta's shoulders shook and jerked, his body wracked in sobs and howls. Tears ran down his face and his body convulsed. When Goku moved to the fourth, which was between two ribs, Vegeta reached backwards and grabbed Goku's arm. He pulled the sweater from his mouth.

"W-w-wait." he said, his voice cracking and hoarse. "It's too painful."

Goku hastily cleaned the tears that had run down his face as well, from the trauma and empathy he felt for his friend.

"I could call my mom to pick us up, and we can continue at my place."

"No." Vegeta said, releasing his friend's arm. A heart-wrenching sob escaped his throat. "She can't see this. J-just... continue."

Goku nodded stiffly and grabbed another nail with the pliers, pulling at it.

When he was done with his back, he turned Vegeta around, grabbing his uninjured shoulder. He flinched when they were face to face. Vegeta's eyes were closed tightly, his nose wrinkled, and tears were running down his cheeks and nose. He didn't release the sweater from his teeth, and when he opened his eyes, another tear escaped Goku's own face. Vegeta's eyes showed so much pain that Goku could almost feel it himself. They were red, pleading and scared. The taller boy softly pushed Vegeta's torso, helping him rest his back against the wall, and grabbed a nail with the pliers, pulling.

A bit over an hour passed before all of the nails were out of Vegeta's body. Vegeta had passed out for seconds, several times, and was convulsing and weeping, his screams and whimpers muffled by his own hoodie. A puddle was already forming below him, drenching his pants, and Goku distantly wondered what they would do to walk out of the bathroom if Vegeta's clothes were so drenched with blood. And his own were, too.

"It's over now." Goku whispered soothingly.

Vegeta swallowed thickly, unable to stop his tears.

"Th-the alcohol." he said, pulling the sweater momentarily from his mouth.

"It will be too painful." Goku said.

"Just do it. We have class." Vegeta bit back, regaining some of his emotional strength.

"You can't go to class like this. Your body is a mess and your clothes are drenched in blood." Goku answered.

"Kakkarot the wounds will get infected." Vegeta said. "Please, just do it."

Goku sighed and grabbed some toilet paper from the dispenser above Vegeta's head. He poured some alcohol on it. Vegeta closed his eyes as Goku placed it against the first wound. He howled in pain, this time not reacting fast enough to bite on the hoodie. It didn't matter however, as his body finally surrendered to unconsciousness.

Goku sighed in relief. With Vegeta passed out, he could apply the alcohol and wrap him in gauze without his friend suffering any further.

When he was done with that, he moved Vegeta's body so that he was completely lying on the floor, and placed his hoodie under his head. Then, he threw the nails into the trash can and began to wash his own hands.

He waited for half an hour, but Vegeta didn't wake up, so he made the choice.

He took his phone out and, watching Vegeta's shaking body, called his mother.

"Hey, mom. Could you pick us up after school? Vegeta isn't feeling very good."

 _"Sure thing, honey."_

"Thanks, mom."

He hung up and sat next to Vegeta, resting his back on the wall, and waiting, trying to figure out how to move Vegeta around without people asking too many questions.

* * *

 _Okay. Hoped you liked it._

 _Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you for your reviews._

* * *

"...geta. Vegeta. Wake up, sweetie."

Vegeta gasped as his nightmare jarred him awake. The last images imprinted into his head floated in his eyes as he panted, covered in sweat and shaking. Before he knew what was happening, pain coursed through his body like hot lava. He cried out through clenched teeth and panted in shorter breaths, clenching the sheets below him with his hands. Somebody to his right shushed him, and something cold and soft was placed on his forehead.

He calmed down momentarily, swallowing painfully, before opening his eyes.

Celipa slowly came to focus, sitting next to him with a sad smile on her face. He looked up at her, confused.

"Mrs. Son?" he whispered, his voice hoarse and cracking. God, he was thirsty.

"You were having a nightmare." she said soothingly.

"Why am I here?"

"I picked you and Goku up earlier today from school. He said you weren't feeling very good." she said. "I know you're in pain. I wanted to heal you, but Goku said I couldn't see your injuries or you'd throw a fit." she laughed a little, her eyes watering in strange contrast. "Besides, he put gauze on the injuries earlier."

Vegeta swallowed again, closing his eyes in complete exhaustion.

"A-and my siblings?"

"I picked them up. They're sleeping in the living room."

Sleeping?

"What time is it?"

"9:30. I thought you were going to sleep in and was about to lie down myself, but I heard you mumbling in your sleep so - Hey, what are you doing?" she said as Vegeta attempted to sit up.

"I need to go." he answered.

"No, you don't. You can't go anywhere like this." she said, putting a hand on his shoulder, very softly so as not to hurt him. "You should sleep here, Vegeta. Where do you need to go in such a hurry?"

"Home. My uncle will... be very worried." he said, his body shaking even more as it begged not to be moved. But he knew that if he didn't get home, Frieza would make things much worse. His entire body screamed as he sat up and pulled the covers from over his body. His torso was covered with the slightly bloodied gauze, and his pants were darkened with dried blood. He swallowed.

"Vegeta, I'm sure he'll... understand?" she said, uncertain. "You could call him."

"I'm fine." he said, getting up. He stumbled a little and the world spun around him. His knees shook and he had to sit back down, Celipa helping him. He panted hard, sweat rolling down his face and shivers running up and down his body. He placed a hand on his forehead, wincing as he touched a bruise.

"Here." Celipa said. He opened his eyes to see a glass of water and painkillers in her hand. He gratefully took both and enjoyed the water to the very end.

"Thank you." he said. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Is it okay if they stay here for the night? I'll be back for them tomorrow."

"You should stay as well, honey." Celia said, putting a hand on his leg. "You know you're more than welcome."

"Thank you, but I can't." he answered. He got up and tried to smile, but the pain engulfing his body turned it into a grimace. "Thanks for everything."

* * *

"Where have you been?" Frieza growled as Vegeta came in and closed the door behind him. The man was waiting for him in the living room.

Vegeta swallowed and slowly walked over, his stomach knotting and twisting in fear. He stopped at the door, unconsciously holding his body protectively as he spotted his uncle. The man smiled as he saw him: shaking, in pain, terrified, and hardly able to move.

"At Kakkarot's." he said quietly.

"And your siblings?"

"They will stay there for the night."

Frieza smiled and got up, making Vegeta cringe. As the man got closer, Vegeta attempted to inch away, but the monster reached him in a few strides and grabbed his injured shoulder, squeezing painfully and making Vegeta yell out.

"How was your day? Was it too difficult with all the things you did to yourself?"

Vegeta glared at him, his face turning red from strain as Frieza didn't release his shoulder.

"I was fine." he growled, moaning and grimacing as the man squeezed harder.

"I'm glad." he answered. He finally released him and Vegeta sighed in relief, his hand immediately grabbing at his shoulder to try to soothe the pain. "Come on, we're going to the hospital."

Vegeta had mixed feelings about hospitals.

Of course he liked getting healed, but Frieza had an image to keep, so he always took Vegeta to horrible, dirty hospitals where nobody would say anything about either of them to the media. Most of the doctors knew who Frieza really was, and what the truth was concerning Vegeta's injuries, and they couldn't care less. Some of them had worked closely with Frieza, so they had hated Vegeta's father, and in turn, hated the young boy as well, so they enjoyed seeing him in a bad shape.

But he knew that without medical attention, his injuries would only get worse each day.

After a long, awkward car ride and all the filters and papers to get a doctor, Vegeta sat on a creaky, old hospital bed waiting for someone to come. He was extremely dizzy and was almost sure he had a fever. Frieza was sitting just outside.

"Vegeta Ouji." the doctor said as he walked inside. He was old, short, with a long pointy nose and reddish hair. He looked tired. "I'm Dr. Malaka. I'll be your doctor today. I was informed that you have various injuries throughout your torso and face. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Please remove your clothing."

Vegeta nodded and slowly took off the large sweater, revealing his destroyed torso. The doctor's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Wow. The other doctors weren't wrong. You're a piece of work." he said. The he shrugged. "Although, judging by their stories, I was expecting a few broken bones."

Vegeta frowned as he imagined the doctors telling stories about him arriving almost dead because of Frieza's abuse.

"I've had much worse. I think Frieza's just afraid that they'll get infected." he said quietly, his voice strained as the pain didn't relent.

The doctor inspected his body closer, squinting as he tried to see with the poor light of the room.

"Well, most of them are infected already." the doctor said. "What caused these?"

"A whip." he said. "And nails."

"And he beat you as well, didn't he?" the man asked, his voice turning softer.

"Yes." Vegeta whispered.

"Lie down, please."

Vegeta swallowed at the prospect of lying on his mutilated back. He looked over at the doctor and the man smiled at him, patting the bed. Vegeta prepared himself as he slowly laid down, groaning as the weight of his body pressed on the injuries of his back. The doctor put on a pair of gloves and gently traced the welts, making Vegeta flinch. He poked his ribs and Vegeta let out a yelp. The man moved lower, and inspected his wrists. He grabbed Vegeta's forearm and lifted it slightly, grabbing his hand with his other hand and rotated it. There was a slight cracking sound and Vegeta yelped again. Malaka was getting more worried by the second. The boy on the bed seemed to be in horrible agony and the injuries looked terribly infected, making the sweat and heat of his body shine in a new light.

A few minutes went by like that, the doctor inspecting his front, and then asking him to turn over so that he could see his back.

When he was done, Vegeta sat up with much effort, whimpering slightly. His eyes watered.

"Who took the nails out?"

"A-a friend at school." he answered, his voice shaking.

The man sighed deeply and walked over to the door, closing it. Vegeta was mildly surprised that Frieza didn't come in to wonder why they had to be alone in privacy.

"Mr. Kold is on the phone down the hall." Malaka explained as if he had read Vegeta's mind. "Vegeta, I think you'll have to stay for a couple nights."

"What?" Vegeta said. "I-it's not that bad."

"It may not be as bad as other times you've been here, but I'd really like to keep track on those injuries. Most of them are extremely infected already, and without proper care they could kill you. You'll need stitches, too. And your house is not a safe environment to keep stitches from getting infected, and infections from growing. It's better if you stay." he explained. Vegeta swallowed. Frieza wouldn't be happy.

"Frieza will be very upset." he said, tensing as he realised how weak he had sounded. But the pain was becoming too much and he found that the strength was leaving him.

Malaka sighed deeply, placing a hand on his knee.

"I'll talk to him." he said. "Vegeta, any other doctor would send you home with a cheap cream and painkillers and you'd have to beg Frieza to bring you back in a few weeks. Am I wrong?" he said. Vegeta raised his eyebrows. That had actually happened several times. Once, the infection had gotten so bad that the whole side of his torso was beginning to turn greenish and feel like hot pokers on his skin. He had had to cry in front of Frieza, filled with imaginable pain, before the monster decided to take him back to the hospital. "You'll be okay."

Vegeta doubted it.

* * *

.

* * *

On Monday, Bulma was seriously worried.

She hadn't seen Vegeta on Friday, so as far as she was concerned, he had been missing school since Thursday. He hadn't answered her texts and none of his friends knew anything about him.

She spotted Goku stretching before Martial Arts training and went to him, bent on getting some answers.

"Hey, Goku!"

"Oh, hi, Bulma! How're you doing?"

"Fine, thanks. Hum, hey, listen... I couldn't help but notice that Vegeta isn't at school today either." she said. "Do you know where he is?"

Goku raised his eyebrows in surprise. He never thought he'd hear Bulma being worried about Vegeta. Sure they had become friends, but she had never changed her mind about him always looking for trouble.

"He's at the hospital but he's okay." Goku said. "I think he had an accident."

Bulma's eyes widened.

"What? And why aren't you more worried?" she said. "Where is he? Should we visit him?"

Goku placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"He's alright, I assure you. I spoke to him yesterday over the phone." he said. It wasn't a lie. Vegeta wasn't in a horrible condition, at least. He had told him that they'd release him that same night. He swallowed as he suddenly remembered how he had looked on Friday.

"Okay." Bulma sighed. "Hey, did you hear about Mr. Zorn?"

"No, what?" Goku said, his stomach sinking.

"He quit his job. Apparently had to move very far away or something. We'll have a new teacher by tomorrow." she said. "Well, I gotta run. See you!" she kissed his cheek and trotted away.

Goku stood there, his stomach sinking as he imagined how Vegeta would take the news.

* * *

...

* * *

Goku couldn't believe it when he opened the door to see Vegeta standing there, going to pick his siblings up.

He already knew that Vegeta was coming, but he expected a recently healed boy. Instead, Vegeta's left eye was swollen, as well as his lower lip, and fresh bruises stood on his throat like banners.

"Vegeta..."

"I'm fine." He said. At least he sounded strong. And he was standing straight, his body relaxed, his expression devoid of agony. "Frieza was upset that I had to stay in the hospital over a few scratches."

'Scratches.' Goku said indignantly in his head as he pictured Frieza mocking Vegeta for crying over his injuries, saying they were nothing more than scratches.

"Yeah, well, you look better." Goku said, trying to sound cheerful. "Come in, Trunks and Tarble are waiting for you."

* * *

 _I know this one was a bit short!_

 _I haven't had much time to write recently._

 _I hope you enjoy it and as usual, reviews are greatly appreciated!_


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you for your reviews :)

* * *

"How's your friend doing?" Bardock asked casually as he ate his breakfast.

Goku tried to force a smile. Bardock worked and travelled a lot, so he had thankfully not seen Vegeta's condition a couple weeks before.

"Fine, I guess." Goku said, shrugging, as a memory seeped into his head.

 _"How're you doing?" Goku asked him as they sparred during Martial Arts._

 _Vegeta frowned as he blocked a punch._

 _"What are you on about now?" he growled, counterattacking with a kick._

 _"I just... I was just wondering." Goku said._

 _Vegeta sighed and straightened. He rubbed his forehead, trying not to get irritated. Goku furrowed his eyebrows and straightened up as well._

 _"I'm fine, Kakkarot. It wasn't even that bad." he growled._

 _"It wasn't that bad? ! Vegeta!" he whined. He lowered his voice so that nobody could hear. "There were nails impaled into your body!"_

 _"Only nails." Vegeta said. "Nails and cuts, that was it. I had no broken bones, except for a few ribs."_

 _"You were in a horrible condition and he still forced you to come to school."_

 _"What's your point? I'm healed now. I'm fine." he growled. "You know very well that that's not the worse he's done to me."_

 _Goku bit his lip._

 _"That doesn't make it okay."_

 _"It has never been okay!" Vegeta exasperated. He winced and gingerly put a hand on his ribs. Those weren't healed yet. "It has always been wrong, and there's nothing anyone can do to change it. Why are we talking about this?"_

 _Goku took a deep breath and shrugged before dropping into a fighting stance._

Vegeta had skipped school a for a couple days after that. Goku didn't know if it was because he wasn't completely healed, or because Frieza had beaten him again. It didn't matter. He had shown up after that as if nothing had happened.

* * *

"Hey, darling. I spoke with Chichi's mom the other day." Bulma's mother said as they ate breakfast. "She told me you've been hanging out a lot with Vegeta Ouji."

Bulma's dad immediately put his newspaper down and looked at his daughter, his eyebrows raised. It was a typical topic at breakfast to talk about the Ouji boy, but only because Bulma was always criticising him. He had noticed her not mentioning him for the past few weeks but he never imagined that it was because she had befriended him.

Bulma smiled a little.

"Yeah. We have to do an english project together so we've been hanging out a bit." she said.

"Be careful, Bulma." Dr. Briefs said. "You know he's a complicated young man."

"Daddy..." she said, rolling her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to his gang fights and stuff. We just talk a bit at school."

"I'm just saying... you shouldn't get too close to him."

"He's not a criminal, dad. He just likes to get into fights and stuff. But apart from that, he has good grades, he's good at sports and he has a lot of money." she said.

"He doesn't have a lot of money. His uncle does." Dr. Briefs said, looking at her from over his glasses.

"It's the same thing. I don't have a lot of money, you do. What's the difference? He's still going to inherit Ouji Enterprises when he grows up." Bulma said.

"Bulma, you do realise that Kold Enterprises absorbed Ouji, right?" her father countered.

"Well, better yet. He'll inherit Kold and Ouji Enterprises." she said.

Dr. Briefs sighed and debated wether or not to tell his daughter about Frieza. He had worked closely with the man several times, despite their companies being rivals. Frieza worked for the government as well, so they often met and worked together, and in those times, the scientist had gotten to know Frieza. He was aggressive, angry, violent, and didn't care about others' wellbeing. Of course, nobody knew since Frieza had such a good political campaign, and most of the people only knew his 'good' side: the one he used to strike deals and talk to the masses.

He didn't want his daughter associating with Vegeta, not because of the boy per se, but because it worried him that she'd eventually meet Frieza as well. Besides, Vegeta _lived_ with the man. Dr. Briefs had met Vegeta Sr., and knew how good of a man he was, but he also knew that Frieza's influence could've gotten to the boy as well. He didn't entirely believe the whole gang-fight excuse...

He decided to let it be and deal with it if it went too far.

* * *

Vegeta winced as he stirred the soup. His right index finger, and left ring finger were destroyed, and he couldn't hold the spoon he was using very well.

His stomach growled and he grimaced. He was starving, but he didn't know if the soup and eggs he was cooking would be enough for the three of them. He doubted it. He eyed the breakfast that the maids had laid out for Frieza: eggs, bacon, fruit, sausages... He growled as he looked down at the soup again. He considered asking one of the maids for some extra food. They had the keys to the giant larder where Frieza kept most of the food... but he wanted to avoid another beating.

The night before, Frieza had beaten him severely. His ribs were aching really badly, his face was bruised and one of his eyes was swollen shut, and blood caked the side of his face. Scratches accompanied the black-bluish bruises, and his throat was so injured that the simple act of swallowing was extremely painful. His legs hurt like hell, too, and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep. But he couldn't.

He turned the stove off and walked out of the kitchen. A maid was cleaning one of the puddles of blood with a mop. She stared at him and her eyebrows furrowed in pity. The young boy was shaking, hunched over and holding himself protectively, as if he would fall apart any second now. She tried to ignore him as he walked up to the stairs and climbed them slowly, placing all of his weight on the banister and releasing constant whimpers and groans.

Her grief heightened considerably as she saw him walking down the stairs with the small boy in his arms and the other one clutching his hand tightly. He had washed the blood off of his face, but that only made the bruises stand out even more.

He sat Trunks down on a chair and placed the plates with soup and eggs in front of each one. Then he served what was left of the orange juice on two glasses.

"Why aren't you going to eat?" Trunks asked innocently.

Vegeta smiled as he grabbed a banana and some water.

"I _am_ going to eat." he said.

"Why not eggs and soup?" Tarble asked.

"Do you want my soup?" Trunks added, pushing the plate towards his brother.

Vegeta smiled and pushed it back towards him.

"I already ate, squirt. You eat it." he said softly, a lump forming in his throat.

"Okay. Can we go to the park today?" Trunks said excitedly.

"Alright, but you can't dirty your clothes like last time." he said.

"Oh, isn't that the sweetest thing." a cold voice said from the door behind Vegeta. The teenager jumped and immediately turned around. The image of Frieza leaning casually on the doorframe, his arms crossed and a smile on his face sent his heart into overdrive. He swallowed and got up, so as not to give his back to the monster. He tried to cover his siblings. "Aren't you going to say hello to me?"

"Hello." the little kids said quietly.

"Vegeta? Show some manners. Say 'good morning, sir.'"

"Good morning, sir." he said through gritted teeth. He flinched slightly as Frieza pushed himself off of the doorframe and walked closer to them.

"You look ghastly." Frieza said. "Didn't you sleep very well?"

Vegeta glared at him but didn't answer. Frieza smiled toothily at him, and Vegeta had to use all of his willpower to suppress a shudder. That horrible smile haunted his nightmares every single night.

"Don't come back too late, Vegeta. I'd like to spend some time with you." He said. Vegeta swallowed and nodded stiffly. Frieza smiled. "In fact, why don't you leave your little siblings at your friend's house? I think we need some time alone."

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed and he swallowed again, trying to control the trembling of his body.

* * *

.

* * *

Bulma looked around the classroom. Vegeta had missed school again, apparently.

She sat next to Goku.

"Hey, Goku, do you know where Vegeta is?" she asked him, worried.

"He skipped school." Goku said simply, shrugging a little.

"Yeah, but why?" she insisted. "We were supposed to talk about how our Math project is doing today at lunch."

"Vegeta always skips school, you know that." Goku answered.

Bulma rolled her eyes and nodded.

Meanwhile, at Vegeta's house, the young boy was trying his hardest to get up from the puddle of blood spreading through the marble floor, but every time he moved a limb or attempted to sit up, waves of pain washed over his whole body. He was almost sure that he had more than a few bruised and cracked ribs and he suspected his shoulder was horribly dislocated. He frowned as he heard his phone going off in his room. Who would be calling? He sighed a wet, shaky sigh before coughing up more blood. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and his whole body froze. He desperately tried to get up, so he wouldn't be so vulnerable on the floor, but he simply couldn't.

Frieza appeared on the doorway and looked down at Vegeta, lying on his side, shaking, panting, and apparently, extremely scared.

"You haven't gotten up, you weakling?" he spat mockingly. Vegeta didn't answer, he simply stared at Frieza with hatred. "You worthless boy. A few punches and you can't move for the whole night. It's 9 a.m, you should be up and cleaning this mess."

When Vegeta remained silent and motionless, Frieza walked closer to him, smiling even more as Vegeta flinched and closed his eyes tightly, his body curling into itself instinctively.

"Why haven't you gotten up?" he growled, placing his foot on Vegeta's wrist, which he knew was cracked and very injured. He applied pressure on it and Vegeta cried out through clenched teeth.

"I can't." he choked out. Frieza smiled and removed his foot.

"You're weak, pathetic and worthless." he said. "You know that, don't you? You'll never amount to anything." he saw Vegeta's jaw clenching, his sore throat bobbing up and down as he swallowed down the lump in his throat. God, he loved seeing Vegeta so weak and helpless. He loved to torture him, not only physically, but mentally as well. He knew Vegeta took each and every one of his words to heart, and much more when he was in physical pain and didn't have the energy or strength to fight his feelings off. "What would you father say if he saw what you've become? A weak punching bag. Screaming every single night. Crying and begging. I bet you're glad your Dad passed away, at least he can't see you right now. On the floor, at my feet."

Vegeta tried with all his might to stop it, but a few tears escaped his eyes and he closed them shut. He was in too much pain to put up a strong front, and the thought of his father being as ashamed of him as he was of himself killed him inside. He opened his eyes to at least be able to look at Frieza in the eye, but he couldn't even handle that. God, he was so scared of that stupid, awful smile. Still, he didn't release any sobs, he simply glared at the floor, unable to stare at Frieza's triumphant face.

"I don't think your mother is really afraid of me." he continued, and Vegeta clenched his fists. God, not his mother. That was such a deep injury. If only he could walk away from Frieza... but he couldn't even move. And the bastard knew it. "I think she doesn't come back because she is extremely ashamed of her son. She doesn't want to live with you, Vegeta. Anyone can see that. And I think you can see it, too." he chuckled lowly as Vegeta tried to hide his face as tears finally began to pour down his cheeks. "Now, get up and clean this mess. The maids aren't coming today so I hope to find it spotless when I come back."

With that said, he turned around and left the house, leaving Vegeta in his own blood, trying with all his might to stop crying and move his body.

* * *

.

* * *

Bulma furrowed her eyebrows as she spotted Vegeta walking into the classroom.

"Hey, Vegeta." she said as he sat next to her.

"Hey." he said emotionlessly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." he said, taking his notebook out.

"Had another gang fight?" she sighed. He nodded stiffly. "Why do you do that? You can't keep on missing school all the time, Vegeta."

"It's not your business, girl." he said. "Shut up."

"Whatever. Hey, you do know that he have to hand in our Maths project in two days, right?"

"So what?" he said. He was too tired to think about a math project. "We had already agreed that we'd do half and half."

"I think... I really think we should meet up after school." she said, biting her lip as Vegeta sighed irritatedly. He glared at her and she furrowed her eyes at the horribly swollen left eye. "I mean, I know you're tired but - "

"I said no meeting up after school." he growled.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fun. My mom will cook some food for us, and we'll just hang out while we work." she said. "I can drive you home after we're done."

The thought of food made him think twice. But still, his siblings...

"Hey, Vegeta." Goku piped in. He was sitting behind him and had apparently been hearing everything. He knew that if Vegeta stayed out of his own house, and entered a non toxic environment like the Briefs house, it would be a really would thing for him, even if it was just for a few hours. "My mom is going to be home all day. She told me to let you know that she can pick Tarble and Trunks if you want to. She's trying a new recipe for cookies and would love it if they could try them."

Vegeta swallowed and looked back at Bulma.

"Fine."

* * *

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Bulma said as she entered the house. Vegeta stared in awe at the house. It was as big as his own, but the white and golden decorations, and open drapes that let light into the house made it look bigger. "I'm with a friend!"

"Wonderful!" Someone said from the other room. A blonde, tall woman emerged from the kitchen with a plate of cookies in her hands. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted Vegeta beside Bulma. "Oh my God." she said.

Vegeta was ready to go out the door and go back home. Every parent at school knew who he was, and not in a good way. He recognised the worry in Mrs. Briefs' eyes... and then he was utterly surprised when she placed the cookies on a table and went to him.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes." he said, surprised and a little uncomfortable as she inspected him closely.

"Mom." Bulma said, giggling. "It's alright. We'll be studying at the diner table." she said. She grabbed Vegeta's arm and pulled him along.

The diner table was enormous, and they sat at the edge. Vegeta was baffled. Frieza's dinner table was even bigger, since he often hosted big dinner events for clients, but the decorations were always dark, with no windows and only candles to light the room. The Briefs dinning room had a huge window letting the sun filter in, and the decorations were colourful and extremely elegant. It gave off a homely feeling.

He began to take his things out.

"Do you want to eat something first? I'm starving." Bulma said. Before Vegeta could answer, she got up from her seat and went to the kitchen. Vegeta took the opportunity to text Kakkarot.

 _"Hey, are my siblings with you already?"_

 _"Hi. Yeah. Mom picked them up. Mom's stuffing them up with cookies. Lol."_

Vegeta smiled slightly and put his phone away just as Bulma was walked back into the room with her mom's plate of cookies and two glasses of milk. Vegeta's mouth watered.

"Okay, let's get started." she said.

Hours went by as they solved the problems and wrote their maths report. And it was really strange, and unsettling for Vegeta, that he had so much fun around her. Even when doing maths, they laughed and joked around, and Vegeta began to realise that his depression receded whenever he was with her. That day we had been so emotionally crushed from Frieza's abuse the day before that he thought nothing would cheer him up, yet there he was, laughing and sharing with some random girl while doing maths. His body was still hurting, but at least he was mildly happy. Besides, Mrs. Briefs' food was heaven, and he was starving.

"Oh my God, look at the time!" Bulma said as she looked at her watch. "It's nearly 10 p.m!"

Vegeta's eyes widened as he looked at the clock on the wall.

"I have to go." he said as he hastily put his things away.

"You can stay over if you want to. It's kinda late, don't you think?" she said.

"No, I really have to go." he said. "But thanks."

"You'll walk home? Vegeta, you're limping. As usual." she said. "You'll never make it home."

"It's not that far." he said. "Can I use your phone before I leave, though?"

"Sure, it's right by the stairs."

Vegeta nodded and got up. He dialled the Son's number.

 _"Hello?"_

"Mr. Son? Hello. It's Vegeta."

 _"Vegeta! I'm glad to hear you."_

"Thank you. I just... I just wanted to know how the kids are doing."

" _Oh, they're already asleep. We ate and they went straight to bed."_

"Great. Thank you so much." he said.

 _"You're welcome. We'll take them to kindergarten tomorrow morning. If you need us to pick them up again, we'll do it no problem."_

"That's alright. I'll do it. Thanks. I'll see you around."

* * *

 _"Worthless, pathetic and weak."_

 _Each word was accompanied by a fist slamming into his face.  
_

 _"Your mother hates you."_

 _A knee sank repeatedly into his stomach, until blood spurted in rivers from his lips._

 _"Your father would hate you if he were alive right now."_

 _His face was smashed against a wall several times, until his nose and forehead were running like faucets._

 _"You are nothing. And you have nothing."_

 _He fell to the floor in a heap and fists and kicks instantly assaulted his body. They crashed against his bruised and bloodied flesh. sending waves over waves of unbearable agony. He could hear his bones cracking, he could feel the blood running down his body. He couldn't breathe. He was in so much pain he was suffocating._

 _"You have no father. No mother."_

 _The pair of hands wrapped around his throat and squeezed._

 _"No dignity."_

 _He desperately gasped for air. His hands clutched at his tormentor's wrists, but it only made things worse. As a hand remained clutching his throat, the other one grabbed at one of his hands with such strength, that his fingers began to snap. He screamed and writhed around as his fingers were twisted and his wrist was bent until it cracked loudly._

 _"You need me." Frieza growled as he let go of Vegeta. The young boy_ _cured into a ball and sobbed in pain, clutching his hand against his chest and trying to will his body to stop going through such agony. "Thank me, Vegeta, for being there for you."_

 _Vegeta glared at Frieza, but remained quiet. Frieza stomped on his back, pinning him down onto his stomach, and stomped again on the small of his back, making him arch backwards with an agonised cry._

 _"You've been with me for a whole year, and you still haven't learned your lesson?" he said. He knelt down and twisted Vegeta's arm behind his back. "Say it."_

 _Vegeta cried through clenched teeth as Frieza pulled his hand upwards, forcing his arm into an unnatural position. After a few seconds, he began to scream. He could hear and feel his bones grinding. It was horribly painful. His shoulder and arm were at the verge of snapping and Frieza was laughing behind him. And suddenly, the monster tugged with a lot of strength._

 _His arm cracked into jagged pieces and his entire arm and side of his torso burnt with hideous agony._

 _He screamed louder and tears ran down his face._

 _"Say it, or you'll be without any arm." he said. "Or legs."_

 _He placed his knee on Vegeta's lower leg and leaned backwards, grabbing his ankle. Vegeta's eyes widened and he looked up at Frieza, trying to wriggle out of his grasp._

 _"Wait." he said in a broken sob. "No."_

 _But Frieza's sadistic smile grew and he winked at Vegeta's terrified face before pulling. The crack resonated throughout the house, along with his horrible_ _scream. A wave of convulsions assaulted his body and he chattered deliriously._

 _"T-th-thank you." he said. "Please, no more. Please."_

 _"You're very welcome, you little weakling. But we're far from over."_

* * *

Vegeta woke up in a cold sweat. He panted as his wide, frightened eyes bolted around the room. He swallowed several times and sat up, cleaning the sweat from his face with his forearm. He reached to his night table and turned the lamp on before placing his hands on his face and his elbows on his knees. He tried to calm down as his heart pounded inside his ribcage like hammers. Shivers ran up and down his body as he tried to push the images out of his head.

Sighing, he dragged his hands down his face and grabbed his cellphone to check on the hour.

He had a text message. From Bulma. It had been sent a little after he had gotten home, but he had fallen asleep instantly, taking advantage of the fact that Frieza wasn't home.

 _"I had fun today :) See you at school."_

A small smile grew on his face before he killed it.

God.

Why could she shift his feelings so strongly? Why did he suddenly feel so close to her? No. He couldn't.

He couldn't drag anyone into his life.

* * *

Reviews are greatly appreciated! :) :)


	10. Chapter 10

_Hello guys!_

 _Jus one thing before we go on._

 _Fangurlsrule: He was having a nightmare, but it was a memory, too. Traumatised people often dream about things that happened to them, which means that it really did happen, and he was dreaming about it._

* * *

Bulma had been begging for weeks to meet Vegeta's siblings. She knew that without getting to know them, she wouldn't be able to write about them correctly, and considering they were such a big part of Vegeta's life, she couldn't leave them out. That was what she told herself, at least. Deep down, a small voice repeatedly told her that they were the perfect excuse to get to know Vegeta better. But she'd never admit that. After long discussions and Vegeta's determined refusals to take her to his house, they agreed to meet one Sunday at the park.

Bulma was sitting on the bench in the park, her notebook ready. And her hair, clothes and makeup on point, too. She smiled when she spotted him. Her heart melted and she had to restrain form biting her lower lip as he walked on the pavement, carrying a little boy and grabbing another little boy's hand. He was laughing with them. It was heart-warming... and sad, too. The fact that Vegeta had lost his parents at such a young age had never struck her so hard as it did at that moment. It had left him in the care of two babies when he was just a little boy himself.

"Hey." he said as he approached her.

"Hey, Vegeta!" she said cheerily.

"This is Bulma. Say hello." he said emotionlessly.

"Hello, Bulma." they said in unison.

"Hey, kids! How're you - " she didn't get to finish her sentence before they both scurried away to play with the other children.

Vegeta sighed and sat next to her, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Well, now you know them." he said.

"Not really." she answered. "They said hello and that was about it."

"Hn."

Bulma stared as they played. Then she looked at Vegeta. There was a big bruise on his jaw and gauze on his temple. She swallowed.

"Got into another gang fight last night?" she asked softly. He sighed deeply through his nose.

"Yeah."

"Did you at least win?"

Vegeta looked down at his hands. "You can never really win at gang fights." he answered in a low voice.

They remained quiet for a while before she spoke again.

"Hey, can I ask you a question? I swear it has nothing to do with the essay." she said. He turned to glare at her and quirked an eyebrow in question. "What does your uncle say about you getting into fights almost every night?"

"Nothing." Vegeta answered a little too fast. "He's too busy."

"Doesn't he get concerned?"

An ironical scoff escaped Vegeta's mouth before he could stop it. He looked into the distance and slowly shook his head.

"My uncle and I aren't exactly close." he said.

"But he's still in charge of you." she said softly. "I... I've seen him in the news. He seems like a good person. Like the kind of person who would get concerned if their charge is acting out and getting half-killed every night."

Vegeta should've been angry. Any other day, and at any other person, he'd snap and shout and storm away. Probably curse. But he was so tired... and he was enjoying Bulma's company, so his anger didn't rise. Instead, a wave of emotional exhaustion washed over him and he wanted nothing more than to stay in that park, watching his siblings laugh and talking to Bulma for days on end.

"It's very easy to pretend to be someone else on TV, I guess." he said. Burma's eyebrows furrowed.

"You mean he's not a good person?" she asked. "Maybe he's just upset that you fight a lot, and miss school and don't do your homework."

Vegeta wanted to say something back. He wanted to explain. He wanted her to know that he wasn't a rebellious little boy who wanted attention, but he also wanted to stay quiet. He wanted the world to stop. So he just nodded slowly and didn't say anything else. Bulma stared at him and didn't know what to say either. His scowl was in place, but for some reason, she could see the loneliness in his eyes.

They stayed quiet for a while, before Bulma said something and a happier converstaion ensued. The rest of the afternoon they talked and laughed. At some point the little kids went to them and Vegeta took out some snacks. Bulma couldn't help but smile at the way Vegeta treated them. It warmed her heart... It warmed her feelings for him.

And it scared her to no end, too.

* * *

"So how is everyone doing with the essay?" the teacher asked the class as he handed out their graded quizzes. "Remember everything you'll have to hand in with it: pictures, drawings, hypotheses of your partner's futures, etc. It has to be a very complete work considering we've given you more than a couple months to finish it. It's due in two weeks."

Vegeta took his quiz and smirked. He had gotten a B. It was a very good grade considering he hadn't been able to finish the book.

"I beat you!" Bulma said, waving her paper with a red A on it. The bell rang, signalling the end of the class.

"Geek." he answered as he put his things away.

"Jerk." she shot back, still smiling. They got up and walked outside together. "Hey, how's your essay doing? We need to take some pictures of each other."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"No, we don't. We have yearbooks and Facebook accounts."

"The only pictures in your Facebook account are of you drunk and hooking up with different girls, posted by other people. You are the most inactive person in social media I've ever seen. And the yearbook photos are boring, the teacher will think we were lazy and just got what we could find first." she argued. "Come on, just a few pictures. I got a new camera for my birthday. Which reminds me, by the way..."

Vegeta winced. He was about to get invited to her party, he knew it. He liked parties, mostly because they were a decent distraction, but he had never gone to Bulma's birthday. He always got invited by other people, but before they became friends he had hated her so much that the sole thought of walking into her house made him cringe. Now he kinda had to go, because they had become rather close, but parties for him almost always meant getting drunk and hooking up with some random girl, and for some reason, he didn't want Bulma to see him with another girl.

"...My birthday is this Sunday, but my party will be on Friday. And as I'm sure you know, you're VIP." she smiled sweetly.

"Uh..."

"You can't bail on me!" she said, crossing her arms and frowning. Vegeta almost smiled warmly at her pout. Almost. "Come on! All of your football buddies are invited. Goku is invited, too, clearly. You'll have fun."

"Yeah, but he'll be with his girlfriend." Vegeta growled. "And your other friends who hate me."

"My friends don't hate you." she said. "Chichi is angry with everyone all the time, Krillin just kinda fears you, and Eighteen couldn't care less! Yamcha hated you but he isn't a part of our group anymore, and Goku and you are practically brothers. Besides, as I just said, all of your other friends will be there, too."

Vegeta took a deep breath and rolled his eyes.

"Fine. I'll be there."

She squealed and went to hug him. Vegeta flinched and stepped back instinctively and Bulma stared at him, surprised, before smiling and giving him a small peck on the cheek.

"I'll see you in maths."

* * *

"Are you going to Bulma's party?" Goku asked as they stretched.

"Yeah." Vegeta said. "Who else is going?"

"I think everyone is going." Goku answered.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and they walked into the football field.

Bulma stared at them from the volleyball field. She didn't usually stare at them play. When she hated Vegeta, she did everything in her power to stop the other girls from looking, then she just stared out of curiosity... Now there was something else. She didn't know what it was. The thought of being one of those girls who sighed as they played made her want to throw up. But seeing Vegeta in his football uniform, playing with the grace, elegance and strength of a lion stirred something deep within her. He was extremely handsome and sexy, she had accepted as much when she had seen past their hatred, but there was something more. Seeing his muscles ripple as he moved around, his face concentrated as he stared at the ball, his smirk as he scored and his laughter as he celebrated... It made her want to -

"Bulma?" Chichi said. Bulma startled and looked down at her. "Your face is worrying me very much."

"What?"

"Your face? You're staring at the football field as if it were a plate of sushi." she said.

"I'm not. I just find very interesting how they play."

"Bulma... Please. Vegeta is your friend but he can't be anything more than that. Please kill that thought before it even forms. We both know how easily you fall for guys." Chichi said.

"Hey, are we gonna play or what?" Maroon said from the other side of the field before Bulma could answer. Bulma glared at her and walked up to her team.

* * *

Friday arrived quickly.

Vegeta had gotten through the week without missing a day. Frieza had still unleashed several heavy beatings on him, but none too serious. The man was apparently extremely busy, so he hadn't been home a lot. It was a relief for Vegeta.

He rang the bell at the Son's house and Radditz opened the door.

"Hey, man!" he greeted.

"Hey." Vegeta answered as he walked inside.

"Hey, Radditz!" his little siblings said as they walked behind him. They were going to stay with the Sons for the night. Radditz smiled.

"Hey, dwarves."

"Go say hello to Celipa and Bardock." Vegeta said. The small children scurried away.

"Can't believe you'll be coming with us to a Briefs party." Radditz said as he closed the door behind Vegeta. "They're amazing."

Vegeta walked into the living room, shoving his hands in his pant's pockets, and sat on the couch.

"Got your sights on a girl tonight?" he asked with a smirk. Radditz chuckled as he sat next to Vegeta, mimicking his pose.

"I want to score with Madelaine, but I have a few options just in case." He answered, shrugging. Vegeta laughed and shook his head. "What about you? I'm guessing you've got the B queen on your sight."

"Briefs and I are just friends." Vegeta said, rolling his eyes. "I'd never be with her in that way."

"Oh, come on. She's the hottest girl in high school! Not to mention she's single now." he said, winking.

"Whatever." Vegeta said. "Where's Kakkarot anyway?"

"He's upstairs trying on some new clothes his girlfriend bought for him." Radditz answered.

Goku walked downstairs then and entered the living room. Both his brother and best friend raised their eyebrows before they burst out laughing. He had a white shirt and black pants, but what was really funny was the colourful bowtie on his neck. It looked ridiculous.

"Shut up. Chichi likes it." Goku said, blushing deeply. "Let's just go, okay?"

* * *

They arrived to the party fashionably late, meeting up with their friends at the entrance. As they walked inside, every girl turned to look at them, as usual. Vegeta ignored everyone as he looked for Bulma, telling himself that he just wanted to wish her a happy birthday and nothing else.

Nothing else.

He was almost convinced of that... before he spotted her. All the air was knocked out of him when his eyes landed on her.

She looked gorgeous. She was wearing a short, backless white dress and black, tall heels. Her make-up highlighted her face in ways that nobody could've imagined in their wildest dreams. And her hair ran down her back and over her shoulders like a river, grazing her body.

She spotted him and her red lips curved into a smile. She swaggered away from the people she had been talking to and gracefully made her way to him.

"Vegeta!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him. Vegeta instantly smelled alcohol on her breath. When she pulled away, he noticed that her eyes were half lidded and she was swaying slightly. "I'm so glad you made it."

"I told you I would." he said, smirking. Bulma smiled back, sheepishly. God, she loved that smirk. "You're drunk." he added.

"Not yet. But I will be soon. It's my birthday after all!" she said. "And you better be, too, mister. I'll go say hello to the others. See you later." She winked at him and walked away.

Vegeta stared at her as she went to the rest of the football team and greeted them, and then he made his way to the table where all the drinks were.

The night went by slowly. Vegeta watched as Bulma danced, drank and spoke with everyone, laughing and having the time of her life. And looking like a goddess. The more he drank, the prettier she looked. And the harder it was for him to not stare at her. She went to him from time to time, to talk to him for a while, but it never lasted as long as he would've liked. But he never went to her. His pride was too strong, and he knew that, drunk, his will was, too. He didn't know how he would restrain himself, especially whenever he spotted her dancing with another man.

And, despite her attempts, Bulma was also having a hard time at ignoring Vegeta. She felt like a magnet whenever she spotted him, talking and laughing with his friends and, unfortunately, to some flirty girls as well. She was drunk, and she knew that if she stayed with him for too long, they'd end up doing god-knows-what, and she couldn't allow that. Although the reasons for that decision got blurrier with every drink, and every time their eyes locked. God, he was handsome. Still, every time she went to talk to him, and left, he never told her to stay, and never did anything to go after her. And he never went to her. It confused her, too. What if she ended up throwing herself at him and he rejected her? It would kill her.

The hours went by like that, and suddenly, somebody walked through the door.

Yamcha.

Vegeta looked at him with a feral glare. His lip curved upwards and he growled low in his chest. Then he looked at Bulma and saw her pale face, anger and surprise on her features. She put the cup she was drinking from down and walked over to him. Vegeta walked closer to them, to be able to listen to their conversation from above the loud music and drunk teenagers.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"B, you look beautiful." he said. "I brought you something." he pulled out a small box from his pocket.

"Yamcha, you weren't invited." she said, her voice thick.

"Bulma, I'm so sorry for what I did. Can we go outside and talk?"

Bulma closed her eyes and looked away before nodding stiffly. Vegeta growled as they walked outside and she closed the door behind herself.

"I'd absolutely hate it if you and B ended up together." Chichi said from behind Vegeta. He turned around to glare at her, but she continued talking. "But I'd hate it even more if she went back to him. So, if there's something mean cooking in that head of yours, I'd encourage you."

Vegeta raised his eyebrows and looked down at Chichi, who winked at him before walking back to Goku. He stared at the closed door for a long time before putting his glass down and briskly walking over to the door, and outside to follow Bulma and Yamcha. He spotted them talking behind a tree and he slowly walked over, using his stealthy abilities to hide himself. He watched from behind a tall bush. Yamcha was taking a silver bracelet out of the small box and placing it around Bulma's wrist.

"Yamcha, it's beautiful but... We can't happen again." she said.

"Oh, B. Come on, give us another chance. We're great together." he answered.

She looked up at him and swallowed. She was too drunk to have a conversation like this.

"Yamcha, you cheated one with a girl from my volleyball team." she said. "I can't forgive that."

"But that was just because I thought that you were cheating on me with Vegeta!" he argued.

"Even after I told you that I wasn't? Come on, Yamcha. You didn't trust me and then cheated on me! You hurt me really bad." she said.

Yamcha took a step closer to her and Bulma closed her eyes. She couldn't concentrate. The alcohol had her brain so fuzzed and fogged...

"I know. But I can promise you that I'll do anything to make up for it from now on. I love you, B." he whispered, before leaning in to kiss her.

And she kissed him back.

Vegeta had to use all of his willpower not to growl or punch a hole through the tree. Rage boiled inside of him and spread through his body. He wanted to jump on them and beat Yamcha to death. He wanted to rip his spine clean out his body. He trembled with anger. He couldn't believe it. He straightened his body and stomped back into the house. He couldn't fucking believe it... But believe what? He stopped at the door as he remembered his exact words. He'd never be with Bulma in that way... He wasn't her boyfriend. They weren't even dating. Why was he so upset, then?

Ugh, it didn't matter. He shook his head as he made his way to the drink table and grabbed a bottle of Vodka. His friends cheered and soon, he was between glasses of every drink he could find, chugging directly from bottles, taking shot after shot that every girl offered him. Before long, his anger was everything he could focus on. He could barely walk and couldn't even see straight... and then a body pressed against his. His hand found the small of a very curvy back and he was looking right into Marron's eyes, who was just as drunk and twice as horny... and out of nowhere they were kissing hotly. He was grabbing her ass, she was tugging at his hair... and they were rushing upstairs, laughing, finding Bulma's room, and lying down on her bed.

But even as his body reacted to her touch, and returned it, and even as they kissed and he growled with passion, his mind could only focus on _her._ He could only think about _her._ Her hair, her smile, her brains... Her personality, her beauty... She was everything in his drunk head at the moment. His eyes looked down at the half naked girl below him. Her hair was the wrong blue, her eyes were the wrong size... her smell was all wrong. He didn't want to be with her.

He sat up, pulling away from her embrace.

"What's wrong, tiger?" she asked seductively.

"I can't." he answered, looking for his shirt as he tried to fasten his pants.

And then the door opened.

Bulma was there, holding hands with Yamcha. The zipper of her dress was halfway down and Yamcha's shirt was open.

Vegeta and Bulma locked eyes... and then all hell broke loose.

* * *

 _All right... You asked for a little rest for Vegeta, and I gave it to you :)_

 _This chapter was all BxV._

 _Thank you for you reviews! I really appreciate them and I love you all!_


	11. Chapter 11

Hello, everyone!

Thank you for your amazing reviews. I tried not to take too long writing this chapter.

 **Warning:** Abuse. (Yes, our Vegeta's rest is over.)

* * *

Bulma woke up and a headache instantly drilled into her brain. She groaned and put a hand on her forehead, before nausea attacked her like an erupting volcano. She rolled of her bed, landing on her hands and knees, and barely made it up to her bathroom. She retched and instantly regretted even tasting alcohol the night before.

"Ugh, dammit." she groaned. She got up from the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. Her make-up was smeared all over her face, her eyes rimmed black and the mascara reaching down to her cheeks. Her mouth was red and her chin and corners of her lips were covered in that same red. And her hair... gosh, it was a mess. "What the hell?"

She filled a glass with tap water and drank greedily before shakily walking out of the bathroom. Chichi and Eighteen were eating breakfast on her bed.

"Hey, you woke up! We were downstairs making some breakfast." Chichi said. "Want some?"

Bulma swallowed as bile once again rose up her throat.

"I'd rather die, but thanks." she said. She blinked a few times before something caught her eye. More like, various things caught her eye. Her room was a disaster area. There were broken hand held mirrors on the floor, her clothes were strewn about, along with make-up, brushes, books... The drawers of her vanity were wide open, one of them fallen to the floor, and they seemed to have been emptied by whatever had shed all of her things to the floor. "What the hell happened last night?" she panicked.

"You don't remember?" Eighteen asked, taking a bite off a piece of toast.

Bulma's eyebrows furrowed, before flashes flew through her head.

 _She didn't even know why she was doing it. The old spark of love seemed to come back to life as Yamcha kissed her, and she kissed him back. But then, her brain conjured somebody elses' face: Vegeta. She felt like she was kissing Vegeta, and her alcohol-crippled mind didn't discern both boys at the moment, so she leaned into the kiss. A hand held her strongly and tangled in her hair._

 _Blank._

 _They were rushing upstairs. Half of Bulma's body was begging and screaming not to do it. She ad just turned sixteen! And she and Yamcha weren't together anymore! But she couldn't stop herself. Her body was out of her control. Vegeta. Vegeta. God, she wanted to kiss Vegeta._

 _Blank._

 _The first thing she thought as they opened the door, was that Vegeta was perfect. He was sitting on her bed, shirtless, his pants open, and a bulge showing. His body was perfect. He was like a sculpture, every muscle carved in perfect fashion, wrapped in bronze skin that shone with the light from the hallway. It was dark in the room, so she had to squint to see the scars and bruises... It was the darkness that wrapped everything up like a gift: He was darkness, and she wanted to be consumed by it. He was perfection. He was like a greek God who stood over hell with a wolfish smirk on his face._

 _Surprisingly, all those thoughts lasted for a single moment before she looked up and saw his eyes. Common sense attacked her. Her eyes quickly turned to the person next to him... Maroon. MAROON!_

 _"WHAT THE FUCK!" she screamed. It shocked her to notice that he had screamed the same phrase at the same time as she had. "What are you doing in my room? Why the fuck are you having sex in my room, you dirty bastards?"_

 _"You were going to fuck him!" Vegeta accused, standing up, uncaring of the way his pants barely hung from his hips._

 _"And you were going to fuck her!" Bulma answered, pointing at Maroon who was trying to find her clothes, although a smirk was plastered on her face. "And in my fucking room! What the fuck is wrong with you!"_

 _Blank._

 _Things were being thrown everywhere. As she grabbed a lamp from her nightstand and flung it at a seething Vegeta, he grabbed a mirror from her vanity and threw it at Yamcha, who was cowering in the corner with Maroon. The mirror crashed next to his face. Both Bulma and Vegeta grabbed everything they found, throwing it everywhere. Vegeta was fully dressed now and Bulma's dress was zipped up. Was she crying at that point? She couldn't remember._

 _"Maroon? Really?" she remembered repeating over and over. "Why Maroon? Why that whore?"_

 _She knew Vegeta was screaming something about Yamcha, but she couldn't remember what._

 _Blank._

 _Chichi was hugging her. Was she crying? She didn't know._

 _Blank._

 _She was throwing up while someone held her hair._

"I remember some things..." she said weakly, dragging herself over to the bed and lying down, covering herself with the blankets. "That disgusting pig was having sex in my bed with that disgusting whore."

Chichi and Eighteen shared a look before the black-haired girl put a hand on Bulma's shoulder from over the covers.

"B, are you alright?" she asked softly.

"Yeah." she said as if it were obvious. "As soon as the maids clean this mess and burn these blankets I'll be perfect."

"What about... Vegeta?" Eighteen asked.

"What _about_ Vegeta?" she countered, feeling angry. "He's a pig for using my bed with that bitch. There were backseats of cars, bathrooms, even the goddamned patio! Why couldn't he take her to his house? It's disgusting."

"You know that's not what we mean." Chichi said. "You were pretty upset about Vegeta sleeping with Maroon."

"Because they were on my bed!" she insisted, her headache growing stronger.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Eighteen asked.

Bulma pushed the covers away from herself and glared at her friends.

"Yes, I'm sure. I've repeatedly told you that Vegeta and I are - _were_ friends. Nothing more." she growled. A sudden flash of him half naked next to Maroon seared at her brain and she sat up, her hangover drilling into her head. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Yamcha and I got back together last night."

"B, revenge relationships are chaos. You know that." Chichi said warningly as she watched Bulma get her phone from the night stand.

"Revenge? It's not revenge, Chi." she said angrily as she typed her password. "I love Yamcha and I've forgiven him. And, speak of the devil..."

She sowed them the text she had received, a devilish smile spreading across her face.

 _"Hey, B. I had fun last night despite everything. Call me when you're awake and we can go get some coffee and talk. - Yamcha."_

* * *

Vegeta woke up and a headache instantly made itself known. He groaned, prying his eyes open. Fortunately (maybe?) he was used to waking up in pain, so hangovers were nothing. He sat up and stretched, yawning. The clock on the night stand shone in green digits, indicating it was 10 a.m. He took a deep breath and looked around the Sons' guest room. He always stayed there when he knew he was going to get drunk.

He got up from the bed and exited, walking downstairs. Goku and Radditz were already eating breakfast... Or Goku was, because Radditz was holding his head in his hands with a tall glass of water next to him, groaning. Vegeta chuckled darkly at his friend's hangover.

"Hey, Vegeta!" Goku greeted. "There're some eggs and bread in the kitchen."

"Hn."

As Vegeta walked into the kitchen to heat the scrambled eggs and make some toast, he heard Radditz complaining.

"How is it that you can eat? You drank ten times more than me."

"You're weak." Vegeta answered. Then his eyebrow furrowed. "I didn't drink that much."

Both siblings burst out laughing and Vegeta exited the kitchen, glaring at them as he leaned on the doorframe.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, man." Radditz said, his headache momentarily forgotten as he smiled. "You don't remember anything, do you?"

"No way." Goku said.

Vegeta swallowed as he felt the sinking feeling he got whenever he couldn't remember something that had apparently been very significant. He was a hard drinker, maybe even close to being a teenage alcoholic, so he was used to not remembering... But he almost always controlled himself even when drunk. The farthest he got was hooking up with random girls and it had become so normalised within his group of friends that they didn't tease him about it anymore. He glared at them warningly, before it suddenly hit him like an avalanche. His eyes widened and his body tensed up.

He remembered seeing Bulma and Yamcha kissing. He had been so enraged that he had lost control and drank exaggeratedly. Of course Maroon had come to him, and he hadn't been in his right mind to deny her. He didn't remember much... but he did remember being unable to have sex with Maroon because he was thinking about... her.

Bulma.

He was thinking about Bulma. About how he wanted to be with her and nobody else. He took a sharp breath and turned away from his friends, disappearing into the kitchen. Bulma and Yamcha had come in as he was getting dressed... He remembered seeing Bulma's soft skin from under the unzipped dress, the side of her breast popping out. It had awoken an animal that he didn't know existed. It wasn't the animal that awoke when girls got naked in front of him, and who only wanted to see to his needs and release the stress... It was animal that wanted Bulma. Wanted her: all of her, tangled with him, never letting go. It struck him suddenly that the animal had existed for a few weeks now... The alcohol had only set it free. His anger was stronger, though, and he had screamed, in strange unison with her.

 _"WHAT THE FUCK!"_

Yamcha's open shirt and roaming hands made fire erupt in his being. He had instantly gotten up, prepared to kill.

He vaguely remembered things being thrown around. He remembered wrecking havoc in her bedroom, wanting to hit Yamcha. It was all chaos, inside of him and all around him. He didn't even know why he was so upset. Bulma wasn't his girlfriend! She was in all her right to have sex with whoever she wanted, even if that included that stupid weakling. He tried to reason with himself... He had been angry because he knew that he had hurt her. He knew, even if she had tried to hide it, that she had cried for days on end before being able to move on. And now that she was fine... he had come back, to tear her apart again. She was his friend, and he was fiercely protective of his closest friends: Life had taught him to clutch tightly what it gave to him.

He remembered her screaming about Maroon and he winced. Yeah, that had been a dirty move. Having sex with the girl who had fucked her boyfriend weeks before, in her own bedroom... But what the hell! He wasn't her boyfriend! She had had no right to scream at him and throw things at him and - crying. It struck him suddenly like a ton of bricks. She had cried. He had hurt her.

But damn it all to hell! She was sleeping with a bastard, anyway! Whatever.

"Let her damn herself to hell." he growled as he putt butter over his toast. "Fuck her for being such a wimp."

As usual, he hid his emotions with anger.

"Mom said she'd be back by midday with your siblings. She took them to the park." Goku said.

Vegeta sat on a chair next to Radditz and slammed his plate on the table. "Whatever."

Both brothers shared a look of surprise and amusement.

* * *

.

* * *

Monday arrived in a very bittersweet fashion.

The Sunday before, while having lunch, Yamcha and Bulma had gotten back together. It hadn't been as exciting as she thought it would be. In fact, a part of her was very upset about it and she didn't know why.

She entered the classroom and spotted Vegeta there. He was talking to Goku. He lifted his eyes and spotted her, and there was a moment of tense silence as they stared at each other. The sudden image of Vegeta lying in bed with Maroon came to life in her head and she looked away with a scoff, taking a seat far away from them. Vegeta rolled his eyes and continued talking to Goku as if nothing had happened.

He intended to ignore Bulma for the rest of the day... or as long as the anger receded from both of them, but as he walked down the hall to get to his next class, he saw Bulma holding hands with Yamcha. He was talking about something, and she seemed to be ignoring him, since she was looking at the floor and her eyebrows were furrowed as other thoughts ran through her head. However, as soon as she saw him, a smile forced itself onto her face and she laughed, putting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Vegeta knew that it was a lie, since she had donde the same thing with him when she was trying to make Yamcha jealous... but it still made him irrationally angry. Did she really think that she could make _him_ jealous? Please.

He would play the same game. He would beat her with her own cards. He knew that she liked him, and it was high time to accept that he liked her. A growl formed in his throat as she stopped in the middle of the hallway and kissed his cheek.

He was a master at seduction, and he would show her.

He walked past them and spotted a cheerleader putting on some lipstick with a hand held mirror in front of her. She wasn't Maroon, but she'd anger Bulma anyhow. He twisted his face into a devilish smirk and walked over to her.

"Hey, gorgeous." he said. The girl's melting knees and Bulma's angry huff behind him made him smile wider.

* * *

Bulma was still upset during P.E, but she had a plan...

Fine, she would admit it. Despite trying to convince her entire body that she loved Yamcha, she liked the flamed-hair disgusting pig a lot. But it was just physical attraction, and she was the Queen of flirting. She would make Vegeta go crazy and then deny him the one prize he wanted: Her.

Even though he was stretching and barking orders, Vegeta spotted Bulma immediately as she walked into the volleyball field. The chain link that separated the football and volleyball fields did nothing to hide her. The gym shorts were at least two sizes smaller, and her shirt was hugging her so tight that he could see her navel and her breasts popping out from the small cleavage. Volleyball outfits were the hottest at school, right next to cheerleader outfits... But this? Jesus fucking Christ. Maroon and her friends had been using way-too-small uniforms for years and had never pulled it off like Bulma was doing at the moment. He gulped without noticing as she began stretching.

"I didn't know today was Wear Your 7th Grade Outfit day." Chichi said, looking disapprovingly at her clothes.

"My other outfit was dirty." Bulma said with a shrug. Her friends rolled their eyes and began stretching as well.

Bulma was not a fan of showing her body to the world. In fact that was one of the things that she hated the most about Maroon and the cheerleaders, but they were playing a game to the death and she wasn't going to lose. She looked at Vegeta and hooded her eyes, smiling sweetly before bending over to touch her toes. Vegeta almost released a groan. Almost.

He growled, though, when he heard his peers' comments. He turned and glared at them.

"Get on with the warm-up, losers!" he barked. She had caught up with his game faster than he had thought... but that didn't mean he wouldn't make his own move. He smiled evilly. Frieza had been absent the whole weekend, so he had no bandages or bruises on his body. He clasped his hands behind his back. "We'll play with last time's teams. My team... will be skins."

Bulma paled as she heard him, while most girls squealed around her. Her whole body became heated as Vegeta took his shirt off. A sudden flash hit her brain again: Seeing him shirtless, sitting on the bed, being drawn by his perfection. She could see the scars in the sunlight, and despite them being disturbing, they also covered him with such mystery that only made his body even sexier, although she didn't even know how that was possible.

"Close your mouth or flies will get inside." Eighteen said.

Bulma frowned and shook her head, turning to her team.

"Let's play." she growled.

No team played very well that day.

* * *

Lunch was hell.

Vegeta sat with his football team, as usual, and Bulma was in a table with Yamcha and the rest of their friends. Yamcha was telling them what appeared to be a funny story, but he knew that Bulma's laughter was fake. Her eyes kept drawing sideways to look at him, and every time he caught her, he'd smile wolfishly, knowing that his smile had thrown girls to their knees before. She always looked away very flushed and made sure to kiss Yamcha afterwards.

Math's class wasn't any easier.

They had to sit together again, and both had made sure to look their absolute best. Burma's dress hiked up her leg when she crossed them as she pretended to pay attention. Her hair flowed down her back, and her cleavage was one button short. It took all of Vegeta's willpower to keep looking straight ahead, because every time he lost the battle and stole a glance at her, he felt a rush of blood going south. For Bulma it wasn't any easier. Vegeta simply irradiated manliness. He was the physical representation of stamina, and the smirks he threw in her direction when she looked at him (against her better judgement), were enough to have her biting the inside of her lip. The room had suddenly gotten so hot that she felt like she was standing on the sun. She took a sharp, deep breath when he leaned forward to write something on his notebook and the muscle in his arm flexed and rippled. Goodness gracious.

As soon as the bell rang, she shot up from her seat and left the classroom without a word. Vegeta sighed in relief. Her smell was intoxicating.

The teasing went on for days.

Bulma would show up with her sexiest outfits, although always trying to remain as classy as possible. She would bite her pencil when she knew Vegeta was looking, and crossed her legs so that her skirts hiked up a little bit. She would sway her hips just a little more when she walked away from him, and would flip her hair backwards so he would catch a small glimpse of her cleavage. When he looked at her, she took the opportunity to kiss Yamcha, hug him, press her body against him and pretend like she was laughing with him. It made Vegeta tense with need, every muscle of his body bursting up in excitement flames.

But he had his moves, too. Frieza had been gone the whole week, so he was healthy enough to keep taking his shirt off during matches, sending sexy, evil smirks every which way, growling in his huskiest voice whenever Bulma was near. He would seduce other girls, talking sweet nothings at them whenever Bulma was within earshot. The sound of his voice and the way he walked, moved, and leaned casually on any surface like the owner of the world made her knees go weak. His smiles were as dark as his soul and it attracted her like nothing ever had. And when she spotted him flirting with other girls, jealousy mixed with her need and her body felt engulfed in a lava of want.

But they had yet to cave in. Their friends had begun to realise what was happening, and they couldn't be more annoyed. The only one oblivious to the whole game seemed to be Yamcha.

Then, finally, the weekend arrived. They wouldn't see each other for two days. They didn't know if it was better or worse.

* * *

.

* * *

"Oh, how I've missed you." the slimy voice growled in his ear.

His eyes opened widely and he gasped. Half of his brain said it was a nightmare, but the hand clutching at his throat was all too real.

God, no. Frieza was back.

He was half tempted to scream. His brain was still groggy since he had been sleeping soundly a few minutes before, so he didn't react fast enough as a fist sank into his cheek. He grunted and the hand around his neck squeezed harder. His heart beat even faster and he grabbed at the wrist with his own hands before Frieza yanked him upwards forcefully and threw him against the wall. He crashed face first and barely had time to turn around before a fist buried itself into his stomach. He coughed uncontrollably and fell to his knees, his shaking hands going to his belly to soothe the pain.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." the monster said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "I know it's late and you have school tomorrow, but I just couldn't wait. We haven't seen each other in... what? A bit over a week?"

Vegeta looked up at him with anger as he cleaned the spit from his chin.

"Leave me alone." he growled.

Frieza chuckled, looking darkly at him, and grabbed his arm, pulling him upwards and slamming a fist into his face. Blood dripped from Vegeta's face as he was flung sideways, but Frieza didn't release his iron grip. His fist slammed into Vegeta's stomach, arms and face over and over, until blood ran down his face and his stomach heaved with pain. The older man released him then, and the young boy fell to the floor on his hands and knees, heaving. Then Frieza slammed his foot into his side, sending him rolling to the floor until he crashed back-first against the wall with a cry.

"How about no." he said, chuckling.

Vegeta tried to sit up, but Frieza grabbed his ankles and dragged him towards him. He sat on the boy, pinning his arms below his shins, and smiled insanely down at him. Fear ate at Vegeta's soul and he did everything in his power to struggle free. A fist sank into his face and he was helpless to stop it. More followed it's wake. Fists slamming on his nose, his cheeks, his mouth, his temples. He heard cracks and knew that his nose was broken, and his cheekbones were probably at the verge of, too. He felt blood splashing around, running down his face, his skin ripping open and his bones splintering. The pain was unbearable, spreading through his face and making him scream his throat out. He writhed below Frieza, his legs kicking wildly and his fists clenching and trying to sway around. When a huge goblet of blood shot from his mouth and he coughed strongly, Frieza stopped for a little break.

Vegeta was dizzy and his face was hurting horribly. Tears of pain seared at the corners of his eyes and he glared up at Frieza.

"Get off of me." he said, his words slurred with the blood filling his mouth. Frieza simply chuckled and anger filled Vegeta to the core. "GET OFF OF ME YOU BASTARD!" he shouted. "Get off! Get off! Get- AGH!" he was interrupted as Frieza grabbed his hair and slammed the back of his head against the hard floor. He repeated the action until Vegeta could feel blood gushing down the back of his neck. Spots danced in his eyes. "Stop." he said, his voice trembling with pain. He couldn't even breathe properly from the bastard's weight. "Get off of me." he said softly, deliriously.

Frieza smiled and made a mocking sound before finally getting up from Vegeta. The boy, in his dazed mind, instinctively curled into a ball.

"How sweet. Your rebellious spirit is back." he said. It wasn't the first time that Vegeta talked back to Frieza. He did that quite often, actually. His anger got the best of him and he'd end up screaming at his uncle. The behaviour would die for a few days after a torture session, though, and Vegeta had been quite submissive after he had buried nails into his body. It always only took a few days of his absence, without beatings, to get Vegeta's rebel instincts back, though, and his week-long trip had done the trick. "Maybe I need to whip you again, and impale you with longer nails. Maybe I'll leave them inside you for days until you beg for forgiveness."

Fear erupted in the pit of Vegeta's stomach and spread through his entire body. His dizziness was evaporating and he looked up at Frieza with hatred laced with terror.

"No." he choked out.

Frieza leaned down and grabbed his hair, lifting him up to his feet. Vegeta cried out at the pain on his scalp before Frieza's knee sank repeatedly into his stomach. Waves of pain washed over him and blood ran in rivers down his chin. Just when he was sure his stomach would burst inside of him, Frieza stopped. He didn't release his hair, though, and Vegeta was left hanging from his hair as he choked on his own blood and wheezed for air, one if his arms wrapping around his stomach and the other grabbing Frieza's hand that was tangled in his hair. His bloodied lips trembled against each other and a small whimper escaped from his mouth. He was mildly sure that he wasn't sobbing because his body was incapable of gasping for air.

"You just called me a bastard." Frieza said. In one swift motion, he flipped Vegeta's body around. He twisted Vegeta's arm behind his back and wrapped his own around his neck, choking him. The little air Vegeta had been able to gulp had been reduced and he trembled with the effort of drawing oxygen into his body. "Did you mean that?" he asked in a soft, innocent voice.

Their bodies were facing the window, and Vegeta caught his reflection. His face was destroyed, and his shirt was covered in blood. He could see the pain etched in his own face and he closed his eyes. Frieza twisted his arm further and he cried through clenched teeth.

"Fuck you." he said. He didn't care if the bastard broke his arm.

"Oh, how brave have these days made you." the older man said. He turned to face the wall and suddenly rushed forward and Vegeta's body crashed against the wall, Frieza's body pressing him against it. He screamed at the impact and tried to turn his head to the side so that his injured nose wouldn't be pressed against it. A fist suddenly slammed against his kidney and more blood exploded out of his mouth as he screamed. The fist found his kidney a few more times before it slammed against the back of his ribs. A crack resonated, and more came along with it as the fist didn't stop. He could feel his ribs cracking below Frieza's strength and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he screamed. "Did you mean it, Vegeta?" he growled.

Vegeta's face reddened as tears fell from his eyes from the pain of his destroyed body. His newly injured ribs and damaged organs hurt as Frieza pressed against him and breathing became ten times harder. He twisted his head so that his forehead was against the wall, making breathing a little easier, but Frieza grabbed his black locks and twisted it back.

"Oh no, my little boy. I want to see those pitiful tears." he purred in Vegeta's ear. A pop sounded from his shoulder finally dislocating. Vegeta couldn't hold back the sobbing cry that escaped his mouth. It came out strangled as he couldn't breathe. He tried to twist his head again, desperately gasping for air and trying to give his damaged ribs and organs some relief from the weight of his tormentor, but Frieza pulled his face back to the side. He whimpered. "I said no. I want to see your pathetic little face." A sob escaped Vegeta's mouth before he broke into a coughing fit, blood splashing onto the wall. "Just answer the question. Did you mean it?"

Vegeta closed his eyes. He needed to breathe. The small gasps weren't enough, and the coughing was only making it so much worse.

"No." he whispered brokenly.

"No what?" Frieza said as he grabbed Vegeta's dislocated shoulder and squeezed.

"No, sir!" he cried out.

"So... you're sorry?"

Vegeta tried to writhe out of Frieza's hold, but a knee slamming into his upper thigh stopped him. The knee hit his leg a few more times and he couldn't stop the whimpering cries that erupted from his mouth..

"Yes, I'm fucking sorry!" he said, the pain increasing his anger.

It was enough for Frieza. He didn't want his pet to be too damaged from a simple beating. He stepped back and Vegeta fell to the floor, his hand instantly going to soothe his leg, the other one flying to his shoulder. He gasped for air and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"I'm glad. Make sure you get enough sleep. You have school tomorrow." he growled, before walking out of Vegeta's room and slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

Bulma entered the classroom as if she owned the place. She had a black-mini skirt, a tight white sweater and slightly-heeled boots. She had curled her hair and she knew she looked gorgeous. Vegeta wouldn't be able to resist -

She stopped in her tracks as she spotted him. He looked exhausted. He was leaning against the wall next to his seat, and apparently had trouble breathing. Goku was next to him, apparently very worried and talking to him in a low voice. She took in his bruised face and winced. It looked really painful. His eyes were red and purple all around. His nose was purple and slightly swollen, and there was gauze on his temple. She noticed how stiff his body was, and how he constantly licked at the blood on his lip. Her eyebrows furrowed.

She walked closer to them.

"Yeah, but you're far too injured. Why did you come to school?"

"Like I had a fucking choice. Frieza - " he stopped abruptly and looked up at her. A weary sigh escaped his lips and he closed his eyes. He didn't have the energy to fight with her, or to play with her for that matter. He just couldn't. He noticed how she had put a little extra effort on her appearance and he felt strange. A small part of him was upset at how gorgeous she looked and how horrible he must've looked, all roughened up and weak. But the majority of his body only wanted to rest.

"Are-are you alright?" she asked softly.

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed but he didn't open his eyes. He licked at the blood on his lower lip. What game was she playing now? Was she trying to pretend like she cared just to crush him when he believed her?

"It's none of your business." he said breathlessly.

"You got into another gang fight?" she asked again, even softer. She didn't know why but she was truly concerned for his well-being.

Vegeta's anger rose. Couldn't she see that he was already beaten, on the ground, demoralised? He didn't want to play games at the moment!

"Just leave us alone." he growled, finally opening his blood shot eyes to glare at her.

Bulma swallowed and nodded before going to take a seat far away from them.

"I think she's really worried about you." Goku said softly. Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed and he swallowed.

"I don't have time for that." he said.

* * *

Bulma stared at Vegeta during lunch. He and Kakkarot were sitting alone on a table, far from their other friends. Goku was talking as Vegeta simply heard his words. From time to time he would say something, but Bulma could never read his lips. She didn't know what to do. He seemed devastated. His face was emotionless but his eyes showed so much despair that she wanted to go and comfort him until he laughed again like he did when he was with her. She noticed he hadn't eaten anything. He suddenly drove a napkin to his mouth and coughed violently. Goku put a hand on his back as the coughing grew worse. She could hear him hacking and gasping for air. Nobody was paying much attention to anyone else, so only a few heads turned for a few seconds... but Bulma worried intensely. Vegeta removed the napkin from his mouth and looked down at it, wincing. Goku's face paled and he spoke to Vegeta in a very worried manner, and Bulma was very frustrated that she couldn't hear them.

"Vegeta, please. Let me call my mom. You're in no condition to be here."

Vegeta kept looking at the blood on the napkin.

"I can walk, I can talk and I can move. That means I can be here." he said breathlessly. "The day is almost over, anyway."

"Fine." Goku sighed. "At least try to eat something."

"I'd throw up." he said. He looked up at his friend's worried face and sighed. "Kakkarot, I'll be fine. I've been much worse and you know it."

Goku took a deep breath and nodded.

* * *

That afternoon Vegeta decided to stay at Goku's house for a while. He wasn't eager to return home.

Goku was watching a movie with Chichi, so him and Radditz were playing video games in the living room. His siblings were running around the house, laughing and playing with each other. Celipa and Bardock had gone out to visit Celipa's parents so they were all alone in the enormous house.

Luckily they had no homework for the day after.

The hours went by as they played and laughed. Vegeta wasn't very cheerful, and he couldn't throw his fists in the air or laugh hardly in Radditz's face every time he won because he was in a lot of pain, but he still laughed softly and joked with his friend. Around 8:30 p.m, Chichi walked down the stairs followed by Goku. She saw the teenagers playing and she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

Vegeta saw her and turned to glare at her as he realised that she was glaring at him, too.

"What are you looking at?" Vegeta growled.

The air grew tense and Chichi crossed her arms, her eyebrow jutting up in anger. She stomped up to him and knelt beside the sofa where he was sitting to be face to face with him. Radditz and Goku shared a look of fear as the angriest people they knew faced each other, both of them sneering, growling and glaring at each other. Vegeta opened his mouth to insult her, but Chichi beat him at it.

"When I said I'd encourage something mean cooking up in your head, Vegeta... I DIDN'T MEAN FUCKING A SLUT LIKE MAROON! YOU DUMB BABOON!" She shouted in his face, before straightening up and stomping back to Goku.

Vegeta was dumbstruck for a moment and he couldn't answer her. She slammed the door behind herself. Goku had exited with her, so Radditz and Vegeta stayed alone. When he recovered, he turned his head, his hands turning white from the force he was using to grip his controller. He was so enraged his teeth were grinding together.

"What did she mean?" Radditz asked, confused.

"It's none of your damn business. Are we gonna play or what?" he said, glaring at the TV so hard Radditz could picture it exploding.

* * *

The game receded a bit after that. They still tried to make each other jealous, but now that Frieza's beatings had returned (full force from his extended absence), Vegeta had no energy left. He had no energy to smirk and flirt with her, and his ammunition had been reduced to talking to cheerleaders whenever they were near. It was mostly to get some sort of distraction, more than actually wanting to win the game. He didn't care about beating Bulma anymore... Now that they weren't on speaking terms, talking to other girls and watching Bulma flush with anger was some sort of replacement from the fun he had with her before their incident. He couldn't do much more. He couldn't take his shirt off during the matches, he couldn't move very well, and he had no energy left.

Bulma continued kissing and hugging Yamcha when Vegeta was near, but it was because she knew that if she stopped, he'd think it was because she pitied him, and nothing made him angrier than that. Truth was that Bulma wanted nothing more than to talk to him and ask him why he was getting into so much trouble. He seemed to be more tired each day, more injured, and in more pain as the week went by. Finally, on Thursday, he skipped school.

Bulma sat next to Goku at lunch, fidgeting nervously.

"Goku..." she began.

"He's fine." Goku said. "He's just sick."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I... We're not talking anymore so, it's not like I can ask him."

Goku's eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Bulma nervously playing with her fingers.

"You can call him." he said, shrugging. "He'd appreciate it."

"You really think so?" Bulma asked. "What if he's still upset?"

Goku chuckled a bit as he drove a spoonful into his mouth.

"Vegeta is always upset." he said.

* * *

Vegeta looked over at the sink as his phone went off. He had been sitting in the tub for hours. It was filled to the brim with cold water that had once been steaming hot. It was pinkish, too, from the blood running down his body. He was curled into a ball, his arms hugging his knees and his head resting on them. His body was so sore that he couldn't move, which was part of the reason why he hadn't gotten out of the tub. That, and the fact that his own blood was everywhere around the house and he didn't want to be reminded of what he had gone through throughout the week. Frieza had been so brutal with him for the past week, that most of the house was a mess. The maids weren't coming until Saturday, though, and he was in no condition to clean by himself.

He was fairly sure that his wrist was broken, his right knee dislocated and most of his ribs cracked. He was mildly surprised that he didn't have more broken bones. He closed his eyes as a wave of pain ran down his body, freezing him. His torso was covered in the most horrible injuries. Burn marks. Deep, bleeding gashes. Long welts with upraised flesh. Enormous bruises covering every inch of skin. Claw marks... and more. So much more. Blood kept falling from his open lips, dripping down into the bloodied water. That concerned him more than he'd like to admit. He'd been coughing blood for a long time. Since Tuesday, actually, and it hadn't stopped. Although how could it stop if Frieza kept on beating his destroyed organs further?

His bruised eyes opened with difficulty and he stared at his phone. It had been ringing for a while now.

He slowly slid the bath door open and extended his arm, almost numb to the shot of pain that ran all through his limb and up his shoulder and neck. He grabbed the phone and held it just outside the tub. His eyebrows furrowed.

(3) Missed calls from Bulma Briefs.

He dialled her number and put her on speaker before dropping the phone to the floor and curling into a ball again.

 _"Hello? Vegeta?"_

"Whtat do you want?" he growled.

 _"I... Uhm... I just wanted to see if you were okay."_

"Why?" he growled. "So you can shove your boyfriend in my face? Knock it off, Briefs. I'm not in the mood."

 _"Vegeta, we might be fighting buy I still... I'm still worried."_

Vegeta was about to answer when a coughing fit took over his body. He hacked up blood and his body shook with the effort, his ribs shifting painfully. He had to uncurl and grab the edges of the sink to steady himself as the spasms rattled his injured body. His eyes watered from the lack of oxygen and blood cascaded from his mouth, splashing into the water and onto the walls. When it was finally over, he was so exhausted that his body slid a little down the tub, the water reaching up into his neck and chin. He gasped, shaking, chills running up and down his body.

 _"Jesus. You sound... God, Vegeta. You should go to a hospital!"_ He didn't answer. Spots danced in front of his eyes and he prayed for unconsciousness. The pain had only gotten worse. _"Vegeta? Answer me! Are you alright?"_

He groaned as he pulled himself up a little using his elbows. He blinked wearily and looked down at the water, which was now a deep red.

"I'm fine." he said. "I have to go."

He reached out of the tub to grab his phone and end the call.

 _"Wait! Are you... are you going to school tomorrow?"_

"I don't know." he said. It all depended on Frieza.

 _"Oh... Hey, Vegeta. Is it okay if I visit you? We really need to talk."_

His anger rose to a new plateau. Why? Why did she want to see him at the verge of death? He couldn't even move out of the tub, much less receive a visit from her. He didn't want to play anymore! He didn't want anything anymore! Tears filled his eyes. He didn't want to get beaten and tortured anymore, he didn't want to be forced to go to school when he clearly couldn't even open his eyes, he didn't want to face Frieza. He didn't want to be an orphan. He didn't want his life anymore... Somehow, all of his anger transformed into anger towards Bulma. He was livid with the unfairness of life and Bulma just happened to be the one listening while he exploded.

"Leave me alone, you fucking WHORE! I don't want to see you, I don't want to talk to you and I most certainly don't want you visiting me! You got your stupid boyfriend back, so you can stop pestering me, you annoying idiot. Yamcha doesn't make me jealous and you dressing as a slut certainly doesn't get to me. You're a whore, a stupid barbie with a perfect life! And I don't want you in my life!" he shouted. Tears coursed down his face and his lip curled upwards. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Stop talking to me, you ugly bitch!"

He slammed his finger into the red button to hang up the phone and flung it across the bathroom. It crashed against the wall and fell to the floor. Vegeta panted as his arm and head hung from the side of the tub. His body practically convulsed and, as another coughing fit attacked him, his eyes finally drifted closed and he passed out.

* * *

Bulma held the phone in her hands. Her face was white and her eyes and mouth were wide.

Her blue orbs looked up to Chichi's face. They watered and a single tear rolled down her face. Vegeta had screamed so loud that Chichi had been able to hear his rant.

"Oh, B..." she said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. She snapped it back, though, as Bulma growled.

"That stupid bastard thinks so highly of himself." she said. "I knew he was still the same pathetic loser he was at the beginning of the year. Fucking bastard! Ugh! I can't believe I was worried about him! He obviously lost his gang fight last night and thinks he can unleash his frustrations on me! Well, no sir! From this moment on I will only turn my head to him to spit on him! Fucking men, Chichi! Jesus!"

Chichi's eyebrows furrowed.

Looked like the demon and the angel were against each other again.

* * *

 _I hope you liked it. :)_

 _Reviews are greatly appreciated._


	12. Chapter 12

_Thank you for your amazing reviews, guys!_

* * *

Vegeta's internal injuries got extremely worrying. That same night Frieza's beating not only made things much worse for his organs, but also fractured his right leg and broke his left ankle. The monster finally decided to take him to the hospital, but not before much begging from the young boy.

 _"Please." Vegeta said. Blood gushed from his mouth in worrying amounts. He tried to drag his body away from Frieza using only his right arm, since the other one was dislocated at the shoulder and his legs were destroyed. "You will kill me." he sobbed._

 _"Maybe that's what I'm going for." Frieza laughed before kicking him in the side of his torso._

 _Vegeta cried out as black blood exploded from his mouth. Even Frieza was surprised at how much blood flowed from his mouth, and at how dark it looked. Vegeta put a trembling hand on his mouth as more blood forced itself out of his body, burning his throat and mouth. He sobbed as he tried once again to keep away from his tormentor, but it was to no avail._

 _"Stop, please." he whimpered. "I-I... I need to go to the hospital." he stuttered in a cracked voice._

 _"Tell you what." Frieza said, kneeling down next to him with a toothy smile on his face. "Clean this place up and I'll take you to the hospital."_

 _Vegeta looked up at Frieza. The man laughed at his face. His eyes wet, his whole face covered in blood, bruises standing out on it in deep shades of blue and black... and he still glared at him._

 _"I can't move." he ground out through clenched teeth._

 _"Then I guess I can't take you to the hospital."_

 _Vegeta clenched his fists and dropped his head to the floor, his forehead resting on it. He was so exhausted... A small part of him just wanted to say the hell with all of it and die once and for all, but he was in so much pain that most of his body only wanted to get healed._

 _"The maids are coming tomorrow." he said softly, in a pleading voice. "I can't get up. Please." he added._

 _"I'm going to get some sleep. I hope to find everything spotless when I wake up. If it is, I'll take you to a hospital." Frieza said evilly before walking upstairs._

 _He came back down about an hour later, just to see how Vegeta was doing. The boy was passed out next to the cleaning supplies cupboard. He hadn't even been able to take the cleaning stuff out before the pain and been too much and he had passed out._

Vegeta stayed at the hospital for five days, and went back to school on Thursday. By that time, Bulma's godlike ire had receded to a small, soft rage. She glared at him when he came into the classroom, and then they simply ignored each other. Just like before, they did their math homework half and half and only spoke the bare minimum.

There was a small part inside Bulma, though, that kept being extremely worried about Vegeta skipping school so much. Unfortunately, her pride wouldn't let her ask Goku, so she decided to ignore it.

That same Thursday was the Essay's due date. Both Bulma and Vegeta had a weird feeling... they had nothing else to tie them together, except for their math projects but they didn't even need to talk to do those. At first, Bulma had thought about writing on her essay how Vegeta had been a rude ass and how he hadn't cooperated at all, thus earning him a bad grade in his own essay or at least get frowned upon by the new teacher... but the small part in her won the fight and she ended up writing that he had simply been very shy and didn't like to open up to others.

Vegeta, fortunately, had finished his essay long before his stay at the hospital, so he didn't hand in an incomplete work.

Things continued on much like they had been at the beginning of the year. Burma's group of friends reunited since she was dating Yamcha again. Chichi and Eighteen hated him now, but they were decent enough to simply ignore him when they were together. Besides, since Vegeta wasn't an option anymore, they knew that Bulma was clinging to Yamcha with teeth and nails, and trying to talk some sense into her would only end in a fight.

Luckily, winter vacations were just around the corner, which meant that they wouldn't have to put up with Yamcha for almost three months.

Not everyone was so lucky, though. For Vegeta, winter break meant almost three entire months in the house, with Frieza. He always tried to get out. He tried to get a job, take the little kids to the park or hang out at a friend's house for as long as possible... but it never lasted. Besides, Frieza made sure to hang around the house even more, knowing that Vegeta would most likely be around. It was awful.

It didn't snow in their side of the country, but it did rain heavily during winter.

One Saturday, Bulma, Chichi and Eighteen were huddling against each other and trying to walk as fast as possible, each under their own pink umbrellas, to get to the mall and catch a movie. There was a shortcut through the grave that they almost never took, but now that it was raining heavily, they figured it was the best way to go. As they laughed and hurried across the creepy cementery, Bulma suddenly spotted someone standing in the distance. As she squinted her eyes to see who it was through the thick rain, her heart stopped and ached at the same time.

It was Vegeta.

He was standing in front of a black, big gravestone. She couldn't see very well what it said, but she had a pretty good idea. He was motionless. He was carrying his younger sibling in one arm, the other one clinging to his leg since his other hand was occupied, carrying a big, black umbrella. She stopped, in turn making Chichi and Eighteen stop and stare.

"Oh." Eighteen said softly. "Do you want to go talk to him?"

Bulma swallowed and gave a few short steps towards him, clutching her umbrella nervously.

"I wouldn't know what to say." she said softly. "He hates me."

But, even though her common sense said that she should leave him alone, she walked closer to him. She noticed that the toddler in his arms was sound asleep, and the other one was busy eating a large chocolate bar from above his thick scarf that practically covered his tiny face. Vegeta was simply staring down at the stone. Bulma squinted her eyes to read what was on it.

 _"Vegeta Ouji Sr._

 _Beloved father and husband._

 _It is not to ignore our fears that makes us strong, but to face them with a smile."_

That was what his father always told him. To face his fears. To be strong. To never give up. It always filled him with pain and shame to realize how much he had failed his father... He was terrified of facing Frieza. He always tried to be strong and not give in but he always failed. His eyes watered and he bit the inside of his lip. He couldn't cry in front of his siblings... They looked up to him and if he cried, they'd start crying, too. It was hard, though. He missed his father achingly... He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself.

Bulma was about to turn around. She wasn't prepared to face him... but unfortunately he turned his head before she could leave. He was startled to see her there, standing in the rain. He spotted her friends a good distance away and glared at them.

"Vegeta..." she said softly. Vegeta could barely hear her over the sound of the pouring rain.

"Bulma." He answered with a growl, before he turned around and walked away from her.

* * *

"So, which movie do you want to see?" Chichi asked as they looked up at the list of movies the theatre was displaying.

Bulma bit her lip, lost in thought, before the question escaped her mouth.

"What do you think happened to Vegeta's mother?"

Eighteen and Chichi looked at each other before the latter shrugged.

"Maybe she died when he was very little." she said. "Nobody's ever mentioned her."

"I don't know." Bulma said. "I'm trying to remember... I think my father knew her, but I can't be sure. Something tells me she's alive."

None of her friends said anything, and after a while, they changed the topic and began to talk about the different movies.

* * *

Vegeta sat on a table at the food court in the mall. It was raining too heavily to take his siblings elsewhere and Frieza was at home, so he had gone out before the monster had even gotten up. The little kids were stuffing their faces with an enormous plate of ice cream that he was sure would last them for at least an hour. It wasn't healthy and it certainly wasn't very cheap, but it kept them busy and he was far too exhausted to try to entertain them. He rested his head in his hands and stared into the distance. He saw families gathering together around the mall and before he could help it, memories seeped into his head. He remembered vacations with his parents, how happy he had been back then. He looked over towards his siblings... they had been so happy, too.

And then his mind travelled to his first school break without either of his parents.

 _Vegeta panted as he approached the door._

 _His vision blurred and doubled and he held himself feebly as he looked at the house. Nervousness crept through his body. His mother always said no to his requests, but he hoped that her heart had changed at least just a little bit._

 _He swallowed painfully. Frieza had whipped him severely just two days prior and the wounds were still raw and sore, rubbing painfully against the gauze he had used to try to clean them. His ribs were also cracked and bruised, turning his torso into a black and blue mass of pain. He could barely move his legs, since Frieza had hit him with a bat, too, fortunately not breaking them but making them hurt as bad as if he had. And his face... he almost didn't want his mother to see his face. A long gash ran down the whole left side of it, his left eye was completely swollen shut and the other one was only halfway open. His nose was swollen, too, bleeding profusely so that he had to constantly press a tissue against it, and forcing him to breathe through his lips, which were busted. At least he had stopped coughing blood. For now._

 _He rang the bell._

 _He nervously rubbed his broken wrist as he heard his mother's heels walking downstairs and down the hall. He looked up as she opened the door._

 _She gasped as she saw him._

 _Vegeta wanted to hug her. He wanted to cry and beg. But he knew it wouldn't work._

 _"Vegeta." she said softly. "Son, are you alright?"_

 _Vegeta swallowed again, wincing._

 _"Mom." he said hoarsely. "Yes, I... Yes."_

 _His mother took a deep breath before moving aside. "Come in."_

 _Vegeta limped inside and sat down on a chair, slowly. His mother closed the door behind him and sat next to him, at the edge of the adjoining couch._

 _"Mom..." Vegeta started. He didn't know what to say so that she wouldn't turn him down. He opened his mouth to talk, but she interrupted him._

 _"Do you want some water, honey?" she asked softly, noticing his hoarse, crackling voice. His throat was raw and sore from screaming and breathing through his mouth, and he immediately nodded. As she got up from the couch and walked towards the kitchen, she continued talking. "I'm glad you're_ _visiting, dear, but I have to run some errands soon." He voice cracked at the last word and tears coursed down her face. She was glad that Vegeta wasn't looking at her at the moment. She hastily cleaned her tears before walking back into the living room with a glass of water._

 _Vegeta drank the water thankfully._

 _Raniya sat down again, trying to keep her tears at bay._

 _"I... I was just wondering..." he began. "Well, school is letting out soon and... I know you don't want us to come back and live with you but... Maybe if we could spend these holidays together..." he left the sentence hanging, gripping the glass tightly in anticipation._

 _"Oh, honey." she said softly. "You know that if you stay here, he will come looking for you."_

 _Vegeta's eyes watered and he closed them, swallowing against the lump in his throat.._

 _"But it could be only a few nights." he said. "Not forever. Just... a few nights."_

 _"Vegeta..."_

 _"Mom, please." he said, one tear rolling down his face. "Please, don't make us spend the Christmas holidays with him. Please. He said... he said his present for me will be a night together, and that means that he'll torture me the whole night. Please. I don't want to spend the night like that, please. Or our vacations. It will be even worse than when I'm at school."_

 _Raniya stared at her son's beaten, pleading face and she couldn't stop the tears. She wanted to be with them. She wanted to spare him the pain... but if Frieza found out that they were with her... she closed her eyes._

 _"Vegeta, I'll be travelling." she lied. She opened her eyes again to see tears coursing down Vegeta's young face. She got up from the couch and knelt before him, taking the half empty glass away from him and grabbing his hands between hers. He gasped in pain and she immediately let go. "Where does it hurt?" she asked instinctively._

 _Vegeta swallowed and gently held his wrist._

 _"H-he broke my wrist with a bat." he said softly. "But it's nothing."_

 _Raniya wanted nothing more than to soothe his pain. She wanted to hold him, heal him, tell him to stay there and never go back to Frieza... but there was too much at stake. She caressed his face and her heart broke at the way he leaned into the touch. It was the first gentle touch he had had since she had left all those months ago._

 _"My son." she said softly. "You have to be strong. Please. Your father would've wanted you to face your fears with a strong facade."_

 _Vegeta's face twisted as he felt the strong urge to cry. A sob escaped his mouth and he pressed his good hand against it._

 _"I can't." he sobbed. "Not with Frieza. He-he... He's insane, mom. Two days ago he whipped me to shreds." he cried. "Just because. And then last night he hit me with a bat until I passed out."_

 _Raniya began to cry, too. Sobs erupted from her mouth and she rested her forehead against her son's knees, crying._

 _"I'm sorry, Vegeta." she cried. "I'm sorry I can't protect you."_

 _"The kids will want to see you." he cried, placing his hands on her hair. "They-they will want to spend their vacations and Christmas with you."_

 _"I can't." she said, looking up at him. "You know I love you, but I can't."_

 _Vegeta swallowed and a heart wrenching sob coursed through his body._

 _"Mom." he whimpered. "Please come back. Please. Or let us live here. He will torture me from the moment I wake up until he goes to sleep just because I don't have to go to school anymore. Please, don't let him do that to me. To us. The kids - "_

His memory got interrupted as somebody called his name. And perfect timing, too, since his eyes had begun to water. He turned his head.

Bulma.

He growled.

"Hey..." she said softly. Their movie wouldn't start for another hour so they had decided to go eat something. Then she had spotted Vegeta, and he had such deep sadness on his face that she couldn't help but wonder what had happened... Her anger and pride melted away as she approached him.

"Hi, Bulma!" his siblings said with their mouths full of ice cream.

"Hey, guys." Bulma cooed.

"What do you want now, Briefs?" he said. "Come to rub your boyfriend in my face?"

"No." she said. "I just... Uhm... I just wanted to talk to you."

"Well, speak away." he said carelessly. He wasn't in the mood for anything.

She looked over at his siblings and sat down next to him. Vegeta sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Uhm... How've you been?" she asked innocently.

Vegeta looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. He had been almost completely sure that his tantrum from a few days prior had driven her away forever. He didn't understand why she was still talking to him. His eyes turned to her friends, who were sitting a few tables away, sending them curious and concerned looks as they whispered at each other. He rolled his eyes and looked back at Bulma, who was staring expectantly at him.

"Bulma, we already handed in our essays. Why do you still want to talk to me?" he asked tiredly. Was it another one of her games?

She sighed softly.

"I'm so sorry about your Dad, Vegeta." she said finally, solemnly.

"It's okay because Daddy's in heaven where he eats ice cream every day and he has a lot of Captain America action figures." Trunks said, waving his tiny spoon around.

Both teenagers couldn't help but smile sadly at the boy's innocence.

"I'm sure he is." Bulma said softly, ruffling his hair. She turned back to Vegeta and spoke softly so that the kids wouldn't hear. "I know we didn't end in the best of terms, but - "

Vegeta sighed.

"Bulma." he interrupted. "We turned in the goddamned essay, we're about to hand in the Math's project... We're gonna go into vacations in a few days and we won't see each other until we return. You should go be with your precious Yamcha and stop trying to pretend that there's anything else between us."

"Why?" she asked softly. "We were friends. Yeah, we both fucked up at my party but - "

"Listen." he said, staring at her straight in the eye. God, she was beautiful. His stoic facade almost cracked as he looked into her face. He hadn't even realised how much he missed talking to her, being with her, laughing with her. But he had to be strong. "I don't want to be your friend. We worked together, we did great, now it's over. They'll probably pair us up again when we return from winter break, but until then, stop pestering me."

He got up from his chair and pulled Trunks up from his. He grabbed Tarble's hand and they walked away from the table.

Frieza always ruined and destroyed everything in his life, and it hurt too goddamn much. He wasn't going to let anyone in. Not even her.

* * *

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Have a wonderful night!


	13. Chapter 13

**WARNING: EXTREME TORTURE IN THIS CHAPTER.**

...

As they days went on and the winter break came closer, Vegeta and Bulma drifted apart even more. He would barely look at her, and in turn, she would try not to look at him. But the feeling they got when their eyes met... Bulma didn't know if she preferred the burning hatred his eyes held at the beginning of the year. Now he just stared at her emotionlessly for a few moments... but, for some reason, she could see beyond his mask and she almost always thought that she saw... pain. And despair.

Vegeta couldn't bear to look at Bulma. Seeing her laughing and and walking around filled him with longing that he couldn't handle, he could't comprehend. She irradiated so much light, and when they had been together it had dissipated his darkness almost entirely... Now that he couldn't talk to her, hear her complain or try to bait him into an argument, or laugh with her, the darkness threatened to swallow him whole. His agony and all-consuming rage had always been there, but now that he had tasted a little bit of happiness, having it snatched away was devastating.

He knew he had hurt her with his words. He could see it in the way she looked at him, but it was for the best. He knew that she would keep on chasing him, but he couldn't. He simply couldn't drag her into hell with him. Besides, she was back with the stupid jerk, so he had no business being there anymore. He had accepted it already: he wanted her as more than a friend, and if he couldn't have her as anything else, then he wouldn't have her at all. In his eyes, Bulma was pure and golden - even if he would never admit that out loud and had to struggle to admit it to himself - and in his chaotic life, he couldn't afford to try to be with someone like her. That was why he kept his relationships short and sexual, to fulfil his needs and release his anger. And he would never do that to her. He would never dare take her like he took other girls. So he couldn't approach her.

Vegeta was taking off his sweaty football shirt after a very successful game.

He cringed a little as his wounds began to hurt again, but he wasn't extremely injured so he could manage.

"Great game, Vegeta!" Goku said as he sat next to him to take his shoes off. Vegeta smirked.

"As usual." he answered. "At this rate we'll kick Yellow Tree High School's asses in the finals."

"Well, the finals aren't until middle February so we still have a lot of time." Goku said, grinning. "But yeah, you're right."

Vegeta was about to answer when he felt his phone vibrating inside his bag. He frowned a little before searching within the contents in it.

His blood ran cold when he found it.

 _"I need to talk to you. Make sure to be home as early as possible - Frieza."_

"What's wrong?" Goku asked softly as he stared at Vegeta. The blood had drained from his face, leaving him pale, and small beads of sweat formed in his temples.

"Nothing." he answered, clearing his throat. He shoved the phone back into his bag and swallowed thickly. "I'll go take a shower. Tell the others that we'll re-schedule today's afternoon practice for Thursday afternoon."

Goku didn't answer. He simply watched as Vegeta got up from the bench and stiffly walked to the showers.

...

Vegeta swallowed nervously for the tenth time in a minute before he pushed the door open.

His stomach twisted and churned, his throat so constricted he thought he was going to start hyperventilating. He, however, quickly arranged his face into a stoic mask, his frown in place and his eyes dark and emotionless.

Frieza was sitting in the living room, as usual. He looked up at him and his cold eyes pierced Vegeta's soul, striking fear deep into his being.

"Frieza." Vegeta breathed out, trying to sound strong and collected.

"My dear Vegeta." Frieza drawled, his voice mocking Vegeta's name, reducing his feigned confidence to ashes. "I'm so glad to see you."

"You said you needed to talk to me." Vegeta growled, crossing his arms in a subconscious attempt to shield his body.

"Yes, I do." Frieza answered, slowly getting up from his seat. Vegeta's foot slid back in fear, but he didn't want to show the monster how terrified he was, so he didn't actually step back. "How old are you now, Vegeta?"

Vegeta's frown deepened in confusion.

"Sixteen." he answered, forcing his voice not to shake or break. He hated it when Frieza acted weird. He couldn't foresee what the demon had in mind and it put him even more on edge.

"Oh, I've missed quite a bunch of your birthdays, haven't I?" Frieza purred.

Vegeta didn't answer. He didn't know what to say. Birthdays were such a meaningless thing to both him and Frieza. Barely anyone knew when his birthday was, and those who did knew better than to try to celebrate it. Kakkarot would often wish him a happy birthday and they would share a few drinks with his closest friends sometimes, but it never went beyond that. He hated birthdays more than anything. And it was Frieza's fault... The first birthday he had shared with the monster had been one of the most horrible experiences -

His blood ran cold again. Now he knew where Frieza was headed. He was somehow trying to remind Vegeta of that awful night all those years ago. But why? His birthday had been months ago.

Frieza smiled wider when Vegeta didn't answer. He clasped his hands behind his back and gave a few steps forward, his eyebrows raising as Vegeta didn't budge. The boy usually tried to stay as far away from him as possible.

"Do you remember the last time we celebrated your birthday, my dear boy?"

"Yes." Vegeta ground out through clenched teeth.

How could he forget?

Frieza seldom ever shared any close relationships with anyone. He had no friends, mostly because he could puke twice at the thought of "friendship". He did, however, have men who bowed to his every whim and desire, in exchange for a few small pieces of Frieza's luxurious life.

His closest companions were two men who had also hated Vegeta Sr. with passion. Frieza liked to have them close because they were ruthless, cruel, corrupt and blood-driven. They loved Frieza's acts of cruelty, and cheered him on with no regret or guilt. On his birthday all those years ago, Frieza had brought Zarbon and Dodoria along.

That night Vegeta had realised that Frieza was nothing when he didn't get cheered on. With Zarbon's and Dodoria's excited roars urging the monster to go on, Vegeta had known what torture was. Then they had joined in on it, showing their hatred for him, torturing him until he couldn't do anything else but cry at their feet. They had broken his legs and forced him to walk; they had whipped him simultaneously with three different whips, skinning him alive; the three of them had beaten him so viciously that almost his entire face had been crushed under their cruel fists and kicks; and his arms, legs, ribs... every bone in his body had been snapped, broken, crushed... He hadn't died simply because they had rushed him into the hospital afterwards.

The simple thought of seeing Zarbon and Dodoria again terrified him to the point of making him cry late at night.

Frieza saw the fear flash through Vegeta's eyes. The absolute dread. And he loved it.

He hadn't invited Zarbon and Dodoria back because the brutality they had unleashed upon Vegeta had almost killed him, and had traumatised him too much. The boy had been submissive and practically unresponsive for more than a month. Frieza had had to leave the house for another month to recuperate Vegeta's spirit and even then, it had taken a long time before he had regained his fire. The man was sure he had almost lost his precious charge, and he was afraid to risk it again. His companions, however, had insisted on paying another visit. It had been years, after all. And now that Vegeta was about to enter his winter break, he'd have enough time to recover.

"Zarbon and Dodoria always send their regards."

Vegeta desperately tried to hide his fear.

"Well, thank you, but my birthday was months ago." he answered smoothly, his eyes shutting off from showing the fear he was absolutely feeling.

Frieza's smile grew wider. Vegeta's witty retorts gave him the fuel he needed to make his life impossible.

"You can tell them that yourself. They're coming in two weeks. On Saturday night, next week."

That did the trick. Next Saturday was too damn close. Vegeta would give both his legs to never face those bastards again. Fear clouded his throat and lungs like thick, black smoke, choking him, his soul and his defiance towards his tormentor. As Frieza walked closer to him, Vegeta finally stepped back, his drive and bravery shrinking down to dust. He took a deep breath, unaware of how his skin was now as white as the wall behind him, his eyes wide and his pupils tiny. Sweat formed all along his forehead and temples and he blinked to keep it away from his eyes. He tried to think of a witty retort, a smart ass comment or any sort of word that would take Frieza's victorious smile away, but his mouth was so dry that his tongue felt as if it was covered in ash.

"No answer, my little rat?" Frieza said in a low, threatening voice, his white teeth exposed and shining in the light.

Vegeta's eyes closed without his consent. He couldn't. He simply couldn't handle the thought of reliving that night all those years ago. At Frieza's cackles, Vegeta's eyes snapped open. He quickly masked his fear again, frowning deep and hard. Goddamit, he wouldn't let Frieza see him like this. He glared at him.

"Good. Can't wait." He growled with all the hatred his could muster.

Frieza smiled insanely, cackling before slamming a hard fist into Vegeta's face.

* * *

Bulma was bouncing with excitement as she changed into her volleyball outfit.

Not even the thought of the football practice being re-schelduled to match the volleyball one could bring her down. Her father had just called to tell her that they'd be going to their vacation house on the beach as soon as she got out from school. The trip was long, approximately 7 hours, so they'd leave at dawn. Probably 3 a.m Saturday morning... but, goodness, did she love the vacation house. It was their own private piece of heaven.

Her happiness did falter a little, though, as she saw Vegeta entering the field. He was smiling, his pearly teeth shinning against the sun and his frown deep as he taunted his teammates to get the best of them. But what worried her was the big bruise on his jaw and cheekbone and the deep, red cut that accompanied it. She shook her head before sprinting around the volleyball field, cheering her teammates up.

* * *

As the dreaded day approached, Vegeta's body became more at war with itself.

The fear that bit into his heart and soul was maddening. He could barely hide it from the other people. He couldn't sleep, he could barely eat... And it angered him so damn much that he couldn't keep his cool. He snapped at everyone, even more than before. He shouted and glared at people so intensely that everyone decided to keep away from him, except for Goku and Radditz, who were the only ones safe in his exploding rage.

Bulma could see everything through him, as if she was the only one who could tear his mask away. It was as if his whole facade melted when he caught her blue eyes... She saw naked fear, despair, agony... She saw a defeated look laced with so much anger that she couldn't understand him. It was as if he wanted to fight back against something but knew that it was impossible. She had never seen that look on anyone and it pained her soft heart. She wanted to go to him, talk to him, make him laugh or at least make him so angry that he'd distract himself with an argument with her. But she didn't want to be swatted away like a fly. Not again. Their friendship had been short and bumpy... but she had found out that she cared for him, not because he was in pain, but because she was happy when she was with him.

Frieza's beatings were weak and shallow now. A few punches and kicks that only left a few bruises and cuts behind. Half of Vegeta was grateful, and the other half was freaking out. He knew that Frieza wanted him as strong as possible so that he would withstand the worst he had in store for him for as long as possible. That weekend he got hopelessly drunk and bedded some older girl he met at the bar he went to with his friends. It didn't help very much, though. The girl had woken him up because he was in the middle of a screaming nightmare and he had rushed away from her house at 5 in the morning. He was still a little drunk and the only thought that had crossed his mind as he walked to the Son's house was that he wasn't with Bulma. And he wanted to be with her.

His nightmares were getting increasingly brutal.

Until finally, Friday arrived.

Everyone cheered and celebrated as the last bell rang. Finally, school was letting out for a few months.

Vegeta couldn't even be bothered to try to look cheerful.

As they exited the school, Goku caught up with Vegeta, worry etched on his innocent features.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Vacations." Vegeta answered. "Entire days with Frieza around."

Goku's eyebrows furrowed. "That never affected you as much as it is now. Did he say something?"

Vegeta stopped in his tracks. He felt anger creeping up his body and he was about to scream at his friend to shut the hell up... but he wanted to get it out of his chest. He opened and closed his mouth several times before sighing deeply.

"Do you remember Zarbon and Dodoria?" he said quietly, looking away uncharacteristically. He swallowed as Goku took in a sharp breath.

Of course Goku remembered them. They had almost killed Vegeta. Goku had been sure, from his hospital visits and the way Vegeta behaved for a long time after that, that he had lost his mind from the trauma. Vegeta never spoke about that night. Ever. It had killed a small part inside of him. The taller boy nodded soundlessly.

"They... they are coming back. Tomorrow." Vegeta said, his voice trembling a little bit. Before Goku could start complaining and sputtering excuses so that Vegeta would stay at his house, he lifted up a hand and glared at his friend. "There's nothing I can do but endure it. If I try to escape it, I will make it worse and we both know it." he growled. "I'll... I'll bring my siblings over tomorrow afternoon if that's alright."

Goku wanted to do something. He wanted to protect his friend. Defeat washed over him and he nodded, placing a hand on Vegeta's shoulder.

"Please, call me once they leave." he said. "We can go out tonight and -"

"I'd rather not." he said. He just wanted to sleep his troubles away.

* * *

Vegeta had been soundly sleeping for the entire afternoon. His phone was off, since he was sure he'd be receiving a bunch of calls and texts from people inviting him to parties and whatnot.

The door slammed shut.

Laughter echoed up to his room. He sat up, cold sweat settling on his body.

No.

NO!

They weren't supposed to be home until the next day! And at night!

He shot up from his bed in a frenzy. It was 6 p.m. His siblings were awake, playing in the next room.

Panic washed over his body, making him hyperventilate and shake uncontrollably.

"Vegeta!" Frieza said from downstairs in a sing-song voice. "Come down, my little pet." Chuckles and snickers followed.

Vegeta dragged his thumb and index finger down the sides of his open mouth and raked a hand through his hair before taking a deep breath and heading towards the kid's room. They were playing with their toys and he closed his eyes, terrified of what would happen. How he wished they were already asleep. He heard footsteps coming up the stairs and he bit his lip, his eyes staring as the little kids laughed, oblivious to the onslaught that was about to happen in their own house.

Frieza's aura of darkness and danger reached into Vegeta, creeping into his neck and making every hair in his body stand on edge. The room seemed to freeze. The kids looked up from their game and instantly felt uncomfortable. Vegeta, swallowing thickly, turned to face his uncle. His stomach seemed to open up inside of him, letting his fear run free and assault every limb and patch of skin on his body.

"Are you ignoring me, my sweet pet?" he asked in a smooth voice that ran up and down Vegeta's spine, making him tense.

"No." he answered. "I... Is it okay if I take them to Kakkarot's house? I'll be quick."

"No." Frieza deadpanned, making Veget's eyes widen. "You're not leaving this house. What kind of fool are you taking me for?"

"I'm not... I don't..." Vegeta stammered before closing his eyes and trying to clear his head. He absolutely needed his siblings out of the house. "I'll just leave them there and come back. I swear."

"I said no, Vegeta." the man answered, crossing his arms. He walked closer to him and Vegeta had to use everything in his power to not step back and try to look strong in front of his brothers. "Lock them up. They won't hear a thing." he muttered in the boy's ear. "We'll be down in the basement."

Vegeta closed his eyes. The basement meant they were ready to make him scream. He already knew that, but to have it confirmed like that...

"I'll just tuck them in." he said, trying to sound strong and failing.

"Alright. I wanted you to say hi, but since we brought some beer and vodka," he smiled insanely as Vegeta's eyes widened. Alcohol always brought out the worst in Frieza, "we'll be warming up. I'll call you when we're ready."

Vegeta nodded weakly. Frieza left, laughing, and the boy immediately turned towards his siblings, trying to smile warmly at them. If there was one good thing about them, was that the moment they got tucked in, they fell asleep easily.

* * *

Vegeta stayed with the kids until they fell soundly asleep, and then made his way to his room after locking their door from outside and hiding the key. They couldn't get out, and nobody could get in. He sat on his bed, wondering what would happen the next morning. Would he be awake enough to send a message to Kakkarot with the location of the key and a plea to pick them up and take them to a safe place? He'd done that before...

He gripped his raven locks, trying to be as brave as possible, but the loud voices and laughter downstairs were killing him. The men were getting drunker by the second and that only meant bad news.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime of apprehension, footsteps stomped up the stairs, towards him. He felt like crying.

Frieza appeared at the door, his eyes red and slightly lost, smiling evilly. He didn't say anything, he simply walked towards Vegeta, stumbling a little, and grabbed the boy by his hair, pulling him up and out of the room. Vegeta stumbled, grunting and growling before Frieza released him at the top of the stairs. Zarbon and Dodoria were at the landing, smiling up at him. Zarbon had his arms crossed across his chest, his body showing elegance and almost feminine grace. He wore a dark turquoise three piece suit, flawless, clean and not a wrinkle on it, but Vegeta could almost see the blood that would be soon drenching the suit. His long braid hung over his shoulder and his smooth, feminine face smiled darkly at Vegeta, igniting old memories that he'd give his soul up to forget.

Dodoria was in total contrast with his friend. He was hideous. He was so fat that his overflowing cheeks were pink, and he was always sweaty. The alcohol made his entire face even pinker. His lips were thick and just as disgusting, and his bald head was vainly trying to be covered with a few strands of greasy hair. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt, unbuttoned to show his hairy chest, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He also smiled vindictively up at Vegeta, making a shudder of intense fear and disgust run down the boy's spine, bile rising up his throat.

"Vegeta!" Zarbon spoke with feminine mockery. "It's so good to see you at last. It's been so long."

"Growing up to resemble your pathetic father, I see." Dodoria piled on.

"Shut up, you pink, fat freak." Vegeta growled, holding onto every bit of anger and bravery inside his gut to put up a good fight and defend his pride.

"Now, now, Vegeta." Frieza said in amusement as he watched Dodoria's face contort to an angry sneer. "Is that any way to treat our guests?"

"They're not my guests." Vegeta answered. "They're insects like you and I'll treat them as such."

"I see you're eager to begin." Frieza said in his ear, the strong smell of vodka and beer assaulting his senses and he turned his face away, before a powerful fist slammed into his stomach, sending him onto his knees. He coughed and gasped for air. Frieza pulled him up by his hair again and slammed a hard fist onto his face, breaking his nose and mouth on impact. Blood dripped down his face, and before a dizzy Vegeta could recover, the older man kicked his feet from under him, sending him tumbling down the stairs. He grunted and groaned as he hit his head harshly against the edges of the stairs and the banister. His hand shot out and he grabbed the handrail, stopping his fall. He could feel blood already falling down his temples and the top of his forehead. His head kept spinning and before he could focus entirely, someone grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him up.

He blinked furiously, trying to focus his blurred eyes, but his efforts were interrupted as he was slammed onto the wall, the back of his head hitting it with a loud crack. He cried out as he was slammed over and over against the wall, until he felt a dark, hot substance running down the back of his neck. He was released and he slid down the wall, landing on the floor and holding his aching head. The monsters laughed and Vegeta forced his eyes open, looking up at them with difficulty. Zarbon had been the one to slam him against the wall. He spat the blood that was collecting in his mouth, right next to the bastard's shoe, cursing inwardly when it didn't hit the target.

"You little bastard." the elegant man growled, leaning down to pull him up from his upper arms. He turned him around swiftly, twisting his arms behind his back and leaving him vulnerable and unprotected as Dodoria cracked his knuckles with an insane smile on his face. He walked closer to Vegeta, revelling on the fear finally spurting up on the boy's bloodied face.

"Oh, how I miss your pleading and tears." he said darkly, before slamming his fists over and over on Vegeta's face and stomach. Dodoria wasn't as strong or fast as Frieza was, but somehow, his attack was more vicious than most of Frieza's, since he couldn't control his strength as much, and he didn't have enough intelligence to think about not throwing him into unconsciousness too quickly. The big, fat fists were dropped like nuclear bombs on his body, leaving agony on their wake, making him feel like he was being hit by millions of trucks simultaneously. He continuously struggled against Zarbon's hold, desperate to throw his arms in front of his body and stop the waves of pain running throughout it, but it only managed to send lances of pain down his limbs, making him suspect that the bastard had dislocated something. Blood exploded from his mouth, flew from his nose, ran down his temples, cheeks, forehead...

It was unbearable.

Finally, when he thought he was going to black out at the next punch at his face, Frieza put a hand on Dodoria's shoulder. The fat man immediately stopped, huffing, panting and laughing.

"Now, now, Dodoria. You don't want to kill my precious charge, do you?" he said softly, his voice scratching Vegeta's ears with promises of pain to come. "Release him, Zarbon."

The pressure in his arms left and the boy fell to his hands and knees, his shoulder burning in pain. He coughed blood and panted, choking and shaking uncontrollably. When the pain in his shoulder became too much, he rolled onto his side, holding his stomach. He closed his eyes shut to avoid looking at the men surrounding him. A horrible kick to his hip made him scream again and he pried his eyelids open to foresee the next attack.

He could barely see it, though. A combat boot slammed against his forehead and he was rendered unconscious.

He woke up in the basement, but, surprisingly, he wasn't tied up to the ceiling like he normally found himself. He was on the floor, blood already cooling below his head, and shirtless.

"Rise and shine, sleepy head." Frieza said, laughing along with his comrades. They were sitting at the table on the far wall, drinking beer over the torture weapons that Frieza favoured. The rest of them were either stacked in the walls or hidden in different drawers, chests and compartments. Vegeta took a deep breath, ignoring the stabs along his chest, and slowly sat up, his shoulder pulsating with dull pain. He stared at the monsters, trying to gauge their next move, but flinching heavily when Frieza got up from his chair, leaving his half-empty can on the desk. He smiled down at Vegeta and cracked his knuckles, making the boy shudder and his eyes widen.

He walked closer to Vegeta and he immediately moved backwards, heaving his body up onto his feet and drawing away from him in fear. The monster laughed before stopping next to a long, tall, wicker basket and shoving his hand in it. He drew out a bat, and Vegeta felt ice water run down from head to toe. God, not a bat. He looked at Frieza pleadingly, his pride and bravery receding in self-preservation. The monster held the bat in his left hand as he admired it, before he shoved his other hand into the basket again and pulled out a cane. Vegeta felt like weeping, his knees shaking and his face twisting with absolute horror as Frieza shoved the cane to Zarbon, who grabbed it swiftly.

And finally, to render Vegeta almost catatonic with absolute, stark terror, his uncle pulled a whip from the wall. It was a knotted whip. It wouldn't hurt as much as the whips with sharp stuff imbedded into them, but it would hurt a lot more than a normal whip. He shoved it at Dodoria, who smiled insanely at Vegeta. He swallowed, a small, shaky whimper escaping the back of his throat. He unconsciously shook his head as Frieza walked closer to him, and his eyes closed tightly shut as he grabbed his upper arm and practically dragged him to the centre of the room. He didn't dare open his eyes, his teeth clenched as the monsters surrounded him, laughing and cackling with evilness that crushed Vegeta's entire body with ice cold dread.

"We're going to play a game, so pay close attention. You don't want to lose." Frieza said, a cold smile etched on his face. Vegeta's eyes opened with hatred, his glare piercing Frieza's eyes with fire burning from his weakened soul. "Every time you fall to your knees, we'll add one more level." he said slowly. "One more level to what, you may ask. Well, it's sort of a surprise, but believe me when I say that it's not something you want to level up on. So try to keep your balance."

Vegeta was intensely confused. He stared at Frieza with a questioning glare, but he couldn't analyse his words much longer before white hot pain shot across his back from the cane slamming against it, instantly drawing blood. Vegeta cried out and arched his back, his arms flying backwards to soothe the pain, before the whip connected with his front, knocking the air out of him and forcing him a few steps back, cutting his skin open severely. But the true pain came when the bat slammed against his chest. He cried out loudly, his knees bucking under him. He almost fell down, but he remembered the "game". He used all of his willpower to keep on his feet, clutching his chest.

His resolve didn't last long, though. The cane was brutal, slicing his skin open when wielded with enough force, and if not that, then bruising so badly that he felt like it had caught on fire before touching his skin. The whip made things much worse. The knots rubbed painfully against his unprotected flesh, tearing and slicing it open, blood bursting from the wounds and pain accompanying it. Both combined formed gashes and ripped the skin from his body, causing him pain like he'd never felt, making his body feel like it was being slowly coated in layers of lava. But the worst had to be the bat. Frieza was brutal and uncontrollable, slamming it everywhere he could reach. He broke Vegeta's jaw, cheekbones, forehead and nose; he cracked his arms and destroyed his hands as he tried to protect himself; he slammed it against his legs and hips, making it impossible for him to keep standing. And worse of all, it slammed against the open injuries, sending wave after enormous wave of pain cascading down the screaming, writhing, tortured boy.

He fell on his knees after less than a minute, and he heard Frieza's voice devoid of sanity as his arms flew to cover his head and face from the horrible tools, even though they still landed on his back and legs.

"Level one!" he screamed as he cracked the bat against the unprotected, quivering mass of flesh and blood below him. "Level two! Get up or I'll keep adding to it."

Vegeta spit and coughed blood, his whole body spasming and convulsing as he tried to get on his feet, but as soon as he managed it, the cane hit the back of his knees and he fell down again, the bat brutally slamming against the back of his head but not granting him any relief from passing out. He screamed at the top of his lungs, oblivious to the way tears cascaded down his face, mixing with his blood.

"Level three... Four!" Frieza kept on counting.

Vegeta tried to get up again, but the pain was too much. It was all consuming, enveloping him like plastic, keeping him from breathing or thinking straight. Pleas for mercy escaped his mouth. He begged them to stop, to wait, to _please_ stop. Finally, he couldn't get up. He simply couldn't. He could only cry, and scream, convulsing and curling into a ball to protect himself. Frieza kept on counting, the tools landing on his body and the laughter filling his ears, piercing his mind. The cane and the whip drew so much blood, a n enormous pool was already forming below him, his skin disappearing with every strike. They also left horrible bruises and welts that knocked the air out of him. And the bat... God, the bat was awful. It felt like it was crushing every part of his body.

They finally stopped when Frieza counted up to ten.

Vegeta was on the floor, curled up, blood running down every inch of his mangled body. Tears coated his face as much as the blood did, but he was trying not to sob or wail. He simply gasped and choked for air, wheezing and coughing. The trembling of his body was absurd, convulsions and horrible jerks racking it. He wanted to pass out. He wanted the pain to stop an he wanted to escape it all. He could already feel his body numbing, his eyelids heavy and his head slowing down... but he never blacked out, since ice cold water landed on his face and body, splashing all around.

He gasped and choked on it, coughing and whimpering now that he was fully awake. He looked up at the monsters, Frieza holding the water bucket in his hands, as they laughed down at him. He closed his eyes again, his body curling tighter, but Frieza would allow none of that.

"Don't fall asleep on us, Vegeta. That's rude." the monster said. He motioned with his head for Zarbon and Dodoria to pick him up.

He coughed and groaned as each grabbed his injured arms and pulled him to his feet, the trembling getting much worse. Zarbon pulled down a rope hanging from the ceiling, and expertly tied Vegeta's wrists together. Vegeta growled in pain as his severely damaged arms were held in a painful position, and he was forced to stand on his injured legs, because his wrists were too cracked to try to hold him up. He closed his eyes wearily, the pain of his body unrelenting and unbearable.

"You know, Vegeta." Frieza said as he moved towards a table with drawers. He opened one and Vegeta weakly opened his eyes. "We were just talking as you slept... I was telling these guys that you belong to me. I'm not just your uncle, I'm your master. I own you. Don't you agree?"

Rage shot up from where Vegeta thought nothing was left. He growled and sneered, his bloodied face contorting with inhuman rage. He set his jaw, the muscle jumping up and down and his trembling turned into one of pure, unadulterated rage.

"You don't own me, you disgusting bastard. You're pathetic, and idiotic." he said, seething.

Frieza smiled as he pulled out something from the drawer and turned around, showing it to Vegeta as he pretended to examine it. It was a blowtorch. Vegeta gulped, his eyes widening in horror.

"Are you sure, Vegeta?" the bastard said, walking closer to him. "Because I'll be more than glad to demonstrate the contrary."

He pressed on the lever, igniting the blowtorch. The sound reached his ears and the flame burst from the tip. In his panic, Vegeta pulled and tugged at his restraints. His eyes darted to Zarbon and Dodoria, who were laughing and cheering Frieza on.

"Yeah, burn him!" "Burn the bastard!" "Put in in his mouth!" "Over his eyes!"

Frieza walked closer to him, fire in his hand. He slowly put the blowtorch closer to Vegeta, until the flame touched his torso on the side of his ribs. The sensitive flesh under blistered and burnt, and Vegeta could do nothing but scream at the top of his longs, tears running down his face from the horrible pain as the other men laughed. Frieza moved the tool slowly around, making the burn big and sore. He released the lever and the fire stopped, but Vegeta's skin burnt and hurt like nothing he'd ever felt before. He whimpered, his eyes lowering slowly to look at the hideous burn on his body. His jaw shook as he stared at it.

Frieza often burnt him with cigarettes or heated pans... but this was so much worse. He flinched in absolute terror when the demon turned the weapon on again, this time walking to his other side. He looked into Vegeta's eyes and the boy turned his head away, his wide, traumatised eyes looking anywhere but at the nightmare he was living. He screamed again as the flame was put against his body for the second time, this time on his waist. Vegeta wailed and screamed uncontrollably, his body convulsing and writhing. He could hear Zarbon and Dodoria laughing and telling their boss to go on, to keep on hurting him, to hurt him worse. He didn't understand. He didn't understand how there could be men so cruel in the universe, and why he had to be their target. What had he done to deserve so much hatred and pain?

His uncle continued burning him for what seemed like hours, creating burns were there were already wounds putting him through hell, blistering his skin with bursting agony, leaving awful burning wounds with different shapes.

"Please." he whispered finally. He couldn't take it. His burning flesh was impregnating the room and he felt like throwing up. "Stop."

"I don't think I convinced you yet. Do I own you?"

Vegeta didn't answer, he simply closed his eyes. Frieza, almost pleased at his disobedience, took something out of his pocket. A golden, metallic shape in the form of Kold Enterprises logo hanging from a chain collar. Vegeta opened his eyes as Frieza placed it in front of him. Both Ouji and Kold's logos were actually symbols of the families, the bloodlines and the pride each held for their heritage. Vegeta had a collar stacked in his room with his family's symbol hanging from it... It made sense that Frieza would have one, too. But that was the least of his worries.

As he held the metallic charm from the chain holding it, Frieza ignited it with the blowtorch, the golden metal turning red, and Vegeta's face turning white and ice cold.

Frieza wanted to brand him like a cow.

"No." he whimpered. "NO! No, please!"

"Too late now, Vegeta. You didn't accept that I owned you when I told you to, now I'll have to teach you a lesson."

"Y-you're drunk." Vegeta tried to reason. "Don't do this. You don't know what you're doing! Please! Frieza!"

Frieza's drunken eyes met his and his insane smile spread through his face.

" _Master_ Frieza."

"Fine!" Vegeta growled in panic, trying to stop the drunk madman from doing some irreversible damage. "Master Frieza! Don't! Please!"

"Do I own you?" Frieza asked again, placing the torched symbol closer to Vegeta. The boy could feel the heat and he tried to give a few steps back, but the rope was too short and a lance of pain ran down his arms. Without him even realising that Zarbon walked closer to him, a strong pair of arms wrapped around his torso. He couldn't even struggle as he was held down on the spot by the rope and Zarbon's muscular arms.

"Goddammit, yes!" he screamed. "Just keep that thing away from me!"

"Superb." Frieza said. "Just remember that next time you insult me in front of our guests."

And he placed the burning metal against Vegeta's left pectoral, right over his heart.

An inhuman scream broke out from his mouth, so loud that it echoed off the walls, his body writhing as the metal scorched through the layers of his skin. He had never felt pain like that before.

The last thing he heard was the men laughter before he passed out.

.

When he woke up again, he immediately began to sob uncontrollably. The pain he was feeling was hideous, especially on his chest. When he looked down at it, his sobs became even stronger. Frieza's family symbol was etched permanently on his chest, tainting him, destroying everything he ever stood for. He hung his head in defeat, broken, destroyed, humiliated.

"Oh, don't cry, Vegeta. It looks beautiful on you."

Fire erupted in him again and he glared up at Frieza with every ounce of anger and hatred he could muster. The three monsters were taken aback by the look on his face, and Frieza could barely hide it behind a smile.

"Fuck you." Vegeta said with a trembling voice, his dark tone surprising the men even more. He didn't have anything else to lose. "FUCK YOU! You piece of shit."

"I don't think his legs match the rest of his body." Zarbon said smoothly, smiling.

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed before he looked down, and noticed that they had taken his pants off and now he was in nothing more but his boxers, but there was no more shame or humiliation left in him. The scarring burn on his chest was enough to kill him a thousand times over. Hatred was all that remained in his body... and well, the all-consuming fear was there, too, eating at his soul. His legs were filled with bruises from the bat, but his pants had prevented the cane and whip from cutting his skin open.

"You're right. Why don't you boys decorate them as well?"

Zarbon and Dodoria smied toothily at the tortured boy, walking closer to him. Vegeta closed his eyes in anticipation, before the whip and cane crashed against his naked legs, cutting and slicing the skin open, making drops of blood rain down towards his feet. He tried not to scream, but grunts and whimpers escaped his clenched teeth as he writhed. More than once his legs contracted upwards and he hung from his arms, but his shoulder and wrists hurt so excruciatingly that he had to stand back on his legs. It wasn't after a long time that screams escaped his clenched teeth and a few tears escaped his eyes.

Finally, after a long time of them destroying his lower limbs, Frieza put a stop to it. Vegeta gasped in relief, shaking uncontrollably and praying that they'd release his arms soon so that he could fall to the floor in a heap. He didn't care about anything anymore.

"Stay with us, little rat." Frieza said as Vegeta's eyelids drooped. Frieza grabbed his jaw and shook his head, forcing Vegeta awake. "We have one more game in store for you."

He fingered the burn mark on Vegeta's chest and the pain jolted him back to full awareness, his eyes opening wide as he screamed. Sweat poured down his face. He saw Zarbon and Dodoria holding some sort of red briefcase and his face, frozen in a mask of terror, twisted even more with heavy apprehension. The men walked closer to Frieza and the man turned around to open it. Vegeta's confusion only grew.

Four pads sat inside the box, one side dark red, the other a metallic black, and were connected with each other with a long, black cable, that also hung from a tail to a black electrical adaptor. It was all coiled neatly around itself, and it only served to heighten Vegeta's confusion and dread. He swallowed thickly as Frieza took the end of the cable and dragged it over to a socket on the nearest wall, plugging it in. Then he took out the first pair of pads and slowly removed some sort of plastic that had been put on the metal-black ends, apparently because they were coated with some sort of sticky substance.

He turned towards Vegeta, smiling insanely, before placing them on each of his temples. Panic washed over Vegeta with newfound intensity as he guessed what the device was for. His mouth numbed and he couldn't talk as the monster prepared the second pair of pads and placed them over his stomach. Those were smaller, but thicker than the ones on his head. He took a deep, shaky breath and stared at Frieza as he took out one last thing from the briefcase.

A remote control.

It had a red button at the top and a small wheel with numbers around it.

"I'll be a nice uncle and explain our next game, my pet. As I'm sure you've already guessed, this is an electrocution device. It's fairly simple. The pads on your head reach into your nervous system, spreading the pain around your body. The ones on your stomach are a bit stronger and more focused on getting past your skin, which means that these ones are for your internal organs. They are going to destroy you inside." Frieza explained calmly as if he were explaining how to work a microwave. "Each level means a stronger current. You got to ten on our last game, but unfortunately there are only five levels on this, so we better make them worth it. Shall we begin?"

Vegeta closed his eyes, utterly defeated and shaking with terror.

Frieza made a mocking sound and clicked on the button.

His world exploded with pain. He screamed for all he was worth as his body convulsed with the electricity that ran down and into his body. Wave after wave of powerful currents spread through him, making him feel as if he were on fire. He could feel the agony spreading from his head down his limbs, through every inch of his skin, his bones, to the tip of his toes, engulfing his body in the horrible torment. He could also feel it getting through his skin and into his internal organs, turning them alight, crushing each and every one of them, making him bleed horribly on the inside. He could do nothing but cry and scream in horror and pain, his nose clogging with blood.

Through his tears, he could see Frieza, Zarbon and Dodoria laughing at him, before it all suddenly stopped. He panted and whimpered, hanging from the rope as fresh blood flowed down his nose from the torture. His bloodshot eyes slowly lifted up to his tormentor, who looked like a child in a candy store, admiring Vegeta's sweat-soaked body and pained face.

"That was fun. Shall we try level two?"

Vegeta shook his head frantically, which only served to make him extremely dizzy. Before he could even clear his head, a stronger wave of agony washed through him.

Minutes drifted by extremely slow as the torture continued with Frieza testing each level. The horror was beyond belief. There was no way to describe the pain engulfing his body as the electricity destroyed it. He watched and felt in absolute horror as his vision turned red from the blood flowing into his eyes, rolling down his face with his tears. It also dripped steadily from his nose, clogged his ears and gushed from his mouth due to his damaged organs. Along with his screams of absolute pain, his coughed violently, a sign that his organs where receiving the damage that Frieza promised. He could feel it, a horrible pain settling in his stomach, as if every single one of them was getting torn apart. He could feel his muscles spasming and burning. Each level was even more agonising than the last. From the third on, his skin got torn open from the sheer current that ran down his body.

By the time they reached the fifth level, Vegeta was pleading and chattering deliriously, smoke rising from his body. He had thrown up twice from a combination of the pain and the smell of his own scorched flesh, and he could feel more bile creeping up his destroyed throat.

Sobs erupted from his lips, his chest heaving as his body convulsed so badly that the rafter holding his rope was groaning with the violent movement.

"What's wrong, Vegeta?" Frieza asked cruelly as he approached him. "Shall we give 'five' another try?"

"Noooo." he wailed. He choked on a goblet of blood and coughed on Frieza's shirt. "Please, let me go." he whimpered.

Frieza smiled widely and stepped back before pressing the button several quick times, sending short but powerful shocks into his body. Vegeta jerked and jumped, his eyes wide as pain exploded in spurts inside of him. He squeezed his eyes shut as he coughed up huge amounts of black blood. As he was busy fighting off the rest of the coughing fit, Frieza undid his restraints and he fell to the floor in a heap, writhing and crying.

His stomach hurt so badly that he actually thought his organs were melting inside of him.

Frieza laughed as he pressed the button one last time, watching as Vegeta writhed on the floor, blood cascading from every orifice on his head as he held his stomach. After a few seconds, he couldn't scream anymore, but his mouth was open with the agony flowing through him. The monster finally released the button and motioned for his comrades to take the pads off of his victim.

Vegeta gasped and sobbed in relief as the horrid device was taken away from him, leaving four bleeding scorch marks on his skin.

He could hear the monsters talking, but it sounded so muffled though his blood-clogged ears that he couldn't make out what they were saying.

Frieza knelt down next to him and he flinched backwards, but he grabbed him by his hair and pulled him closer.

"Call me master." he growled with a voice darkened with blood-lust. "Say 'please master' and we'll leave you alone."

Vegeta didn't say anything. He couldn't. His body was so weakened that he couldn't even force his mouth to talk. His throat was filled with blood and he could barely gasp for air. He couldn't force words out, so he simply stared up at Frieza through the red haze of blood in his eyes. He whimpered pathetically as he saw that the madman was holding a gun in his right hand. Frieza got up, pointing the gun at him and Vegeta flinched, choking and wheezing as he tried to say something, anything. He didn't know if he wanted to insult the man or plead... but he couldn't. He couldn't even move to try to get away from the bullet.

"Looks like I'll have to shoot you. Haven't learned your lesson, huh?"

Vegeta closed his eyes shut. Not being able to obey terrified him. It was usually his choice whether he wanted to obey Frieza's commands or simply keep on being rebellious. Defiance was a dangerous choice, but at least it was his! Now he couldn't do anything.

'He'll kill you.' a panicked voice said inside of him.

'Finally.' a softer one whispered.

He heard the click and readied himself for the worst. A loud bang echoed off the walls and fire erupted in his shoulder, running down his arm and up his neck. He screamed, writhing on the ground. He choked on a goblet of blood and cried helplessly, his hand flying to cover the new wound on his body. It was horribly painful, and his body convulsed with shock. He heard the click again and somehow, words burst through his lips, desperately trying to stop the horrible torture.

"Master!" he choked out. "Please!" he whimpered as he rolled around the floor, twisting and writhing. Frieza laughed and kicked him in the face.

"We're going to get a few more beers. Then we'll continue ripping your body apart." he growled, laughing.

And they left.

Relief swept through Vegeta's body and he just lay there, on his side, panting and sobbing in intervals, his eyes open but unfocused and his whole body jerking and trembling. Random thoughts floated through his head, but he was half-fainted, so he couldn't concentrate on anything.

But then it hit him like a ton of bricks, jerking him into awareness so strongly that his eyes shot open and his whole body froze. They had left the house. They had _left._ For a short time, maybe, but still... He could leave. Half of his mind didn't want to, because he was terrified of what they could do if they caught him escaping, but the stronger side encouraged him to leave. They would only come back even drunker, more brutal, and with less wits to try and keep him alive. Besides, he had to take his siblings out of there. He just had to.

His mind now lightened with newfound fire, he willed his body to stand. It shook even more intensely as it began not to be moved, his limbs practically unresponsive and his stomach doing flip flops. He had to hurry... he was on borrowed time.

Closing his eyes and uttering a horrible scream of pure agony, he got onto his hands and knees, blood running down his body from the multiple injuries he had sustained. He spit blood on the floor and slowly and painfully, he got onto his feet. He grabbed his pants from a table nearby and put them on, sliding his horribly injured legs in them and trying to button them with shaking hands. Then he dragged his tired body up the stairs and outside. He limped towards the living room stairs, his body convulsing even more with each passing second. He wailed and cried as he forced himself to get to the second floor, and when he managed it, he pitched onto his hands and knees, blood exploding again from his mouth. He cried out at the pain on his throat and he panicked at the dark color and the sheer amount of it. His eyes rolled to his right hand, which was now covered in red and black blood that was oozing from his shoulder.

"God." he muttered, before pulling his devastated body to his feet and limping towards his room, where he kept the key to the kid's room. He hastily threw a big hoodie over his head. They couldn't see the injuries on his body, even if they saw the blood and bruises on his face.

He opened their door and quickly woke them up, silencing them harshly as they asked what had happened to him.

"We need to leave. NOW!" he commanded.

They hurried down the stairs, and some sort of power allowed Vegeta to show the minimum amount of pain, even though he felt like he was dying very slowly. When the night air hit his face, Vegeta knew that it would be the worse night of his life. Droplets of rain were already falling down onto the floor, and very soon it'd start raining heavily.

He grabbed their hands, and began running as fast as his body could carry him, his siblings trailing behind him. It was extremely chilly, and Vegeta vaguely wondered what time it was. He figured it would be past midnight, probably around 1 or 2 in the morning... The vague thoughts running through his head made him realise that the loss of blood and the pain were shutting his brain off again. He staggered and stopped, panting heavily and shaking. His little siblings looked up at him.

"Vegeta?" Trunks asked softly, his voice shaking in concern.

Vegeta stared at the floor, willing his body to go on. The rain got heavier, the coldness thicker. With the loss of blood, it was almost unbearable and he was starting to feel his fingers and toes getting extremely numb. But he had to keep going.

He stubbornly shook his head and trotted on. Soon it was pouring down, drenching the three of them in ice cold rain. Vegeta thought about carrying Trunks, but he didn't have the strength and his arms and ribs were destroyed. He still went on, his vision blurring and dimming and getting too bright, his chest so constricted he couldn't breathe and his throat so raw, the cold air felt like fire running down it.

His plan was to head to the Son's house. They would help him...

His vision darkened suddenly, and when he regained it, he was on his knees, his siblings kneeling next to him, grabbing his hoodie, shaking him, talking to him in extremely worried voices. He looked up at Trunks, who was crying and his lips shook as he tried to force a smile.

He was only stalling them. If Frieza and his goons caught him, he couldn't be with them. He took a deep breath and looked into their eyes.

"Listen to me." he rasped. "I have to do something very important now. Go to Kakkarot's house, tell them I sent you. Stay there until I come for you. Do NOT go anywhere else! A beeline to their house. Am I understood?"

"We won't leave you!" Tarble said, a small sob escaping his mouth.

"Tarble, GO!" he said, pain shooting up his chest. "NOW."

Tarble began to cry, and he hugged Vegeta. Trunks did the same. He ignored his pain as he hugged them back, before pushing them softly away. They looked at him with worry before Tarble grabbed Trunks's hand and began running. As soon as they rounded the corner, Vegeta threw up blood, crying out as it burnt his throat and mouth with the bile mixed in it. He placed a shaking hand on his shaking lips and his body screamed at him to just curl up on the pavement and stay there, without moving. Maybe life would be merciful once and for all and he'd die in his sleep. His body dropped sideways and he curled into a tight ball. It felt so nice... He was so exhausted. He needed to rest. His head drifted away, helping him escape the hours of horror he had endured.

His eyes drooped and his mouth hung open... before he heard a scream in the distance.

"We have to FIND HIM! Come on, you idiots! Let's find that stupid cockroach!" Frieza's voice screeched.

It was distanced, which meant that they were a fair distance away, maybe more than a few blocks, but the fear sent Vegeta onto his unsteady feet. He sobbed and moaned miserably at the immense pain he felt as his body begged not to move. After staggering many times, the boy finally got onto his feet and and began moving again. He had to get away. In his condition he couldn't get very far. He doubted he could make it to the Son's house before the monsters caught up with him. He was far too injured and could barely walk, much less run. He had to hide somewhere until they got tired of looking... or something. He didn't know. He just had to leave. He gathered all of his strength and continued walking, ignoring the blood steadily raining from his nose and mouth.

He heard their angry muttering very close as he continued walking through blocks, enormous houses, buildings, dark alleys... Everyone was sleeping, oblivious to the suffering of the young boy in the streets and the evilness of the men chasing him.

"Frieza!" he heard in the distance. "There's a huge puddle of blood here. He must be close."

He cursed. The rain hadn't been enough to wash his blood away from the pavement and unfortunately, Zarbon's keen eyes had seen it.

He made an unexpected, sharp turn on a street, and then another, and another. He was so disoriented with pain that he didn't even know what he was doing. He could've been running smack into his torturers and be oblivious to it all. He could hear their voices but he didn't know if it was all in his fainting brain or if they were really hot on his tail. He kept limping, his eyes unseeing, his body completely frozen and numb, his mind reeling so fast it wasn't really thinking. His body was shaking and jerking so much that he was sure he looked like a severe Tourette's syndrome victim.

"Damn that stupid rat! I will skin him alive with a spoon when I find him!" he heard Frieza's voice closer than he expected.

He panicked. He didn't know how they could be so close. He had given so much twists and turns that he was half sure he had at least confused their path. Maybe they were following the blood he was leaving behind...?

He stumbled on his feet and fell on his face, coughing uncontrollably, desperately trying to muffle his wheezing gasps and whimpers with his sleeves.

"Hey, what's that sound?" Dodoria said.

Vegetat's heart went into overdrive.

"It's him!" Zarbon said.

Vegeta instantly got on his feet and looked around for something, anything to help him, but he had no idea where he was. It was too dark, the rain clouding his vision and the pain blurring it.

"Father, please. Please. Help me." he muttered deliriously.

And fate smiled at him. He squinted his eyes before it focused... An open door! It was a garage door, giving entrance to the back of a house. He realised, surprised that he hadn't seen it before, that one dim light was on in a high window. He hurried over to the door, not thinking about what would happen if someone was in there. He simply rushed inside, closing the door behind himself. The light was on, and he could see a wide space filled with boxes and shelves with what was surely the family's discarded things from years ago.

Panting, whimpering, wheezing and convulsing uncontrollably, Vegeta leaned against a wall and slowly slid down, sitting on the floor.

At least it was warm.

He slowly let his eyes drift closed, his body slacking and relaxing. At least now he wouldn't die on the pavement, or in Frieza's basement after even more hours of horrible torture.

But then a door giving to the inside of the house opened. Vegeta's eyes shot open as well, widening with terror, his shaking intensifying again.

A girl came in through the door. But it wasn't any girl.

Bulma Briefs.

He had walked into Bulma Briefs' garage.

...

Happy New Year everyone!


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank you for your reviews, guys! :)_

* * *

Bulma was excitedly packing the last details for her trip.

They would stay for the duration of her vacations, so she needed to pack months' worth of stuff. Her father had some of CC's workers loading boxes and bags onto one of their enormous vans that they'd take with them.

It was 2:45 a.m, but she didn't care. She was excited and full of energy.

She hopped down the stairs and towards the kitchen, where the garage door was located. She needed to retrieve a few boxes to finish packing her things and call the workers into her room to help her.

As soon as she opened the door, her heart jumped out of her chest. She gasped and almost lost control of her bladder.

Vegeta was slumped against the wall, his wheezing gasps and low moans reaching her ears. She froze completely for a moment as her eyes swiped across his body and caught the blood, the bruises, the horrible convulsions... and then their eyes met. She saw the fear, the pain, the desperation. She saw the tears that were running down his face, clear and bloody alike. And then she bolted towards him.

She landed on her knees, ignoring the lance of pain that shot up her legs, right before him. Tears welled up in her eyes as her heart beat maddeningly in her chest. Her lips opened and closed, quivering, her throat closing shut as she tried to scream for help, but she could only manage a terrified squeak.

"Vegeta."

His eyes focused on her, blinking weakly.

"Bulma..." he whispered, then his eyes closed shut as if a sudden wave of pain had attacked him.

He panted and looked at Bulma again.

He didn't know what to do. He knew that Bulma hated him, but at least she'd try to help him. She wasn't heartless... But she might also try to contact Frieza, or her parents would. They would take him to a hospital, too, where Frieza would find him and take him back home. He shuddered at the thought and the pain intensified, making a few more tears escape his eyes. He moaned in pain.

Bulma didn't know what to do.

Vegeta began coughing, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth and running down his nose.

The girl covered her mouth with trembling hands as her brain scrambled for something, anything to help the agonising boy in front of her.

"What happened to you?" she whispered softly, a tear escaping her eye.

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed and he closed his eyes. Would she believe him...?

Bulma looked him up and down and her panic only rose, and a sob escaped her mouth. Vegeta was covered in blood, so much so that his grey hoodie had huge splotches all over. It reached up into his black hair and covered his deadly pale face. His body was shaking so much, he seemed to be having a seizure, and Bulma worried he might start convulsing in pain right there.

In fact, his eyes showed so much pain she wanted to start weeping. They were also pleading, filled with an all consuming fear she never thought she'd see on him. On anyone else, for that matter. They were desperate... as much as eyes nearly swollen shut can be.

"I-I'll call 911." she said, but before she could get up, Vegeta grabbed her hand.

"No." he wheezed. He blinked as his vision blurred and darkened, dark spots threatening to consume it and drag him into unconsciousness, but, as much as he wanted to sleep and rest, he didn't want to be at their mercy. The Briefs didn't know anything about his life! They would send him back to Frieza! He uttered a horrible gasp and choked on thick blood as he tried to talk. A delirious sentence broke from his lips... his brain wasn't working anymore. "He'll... find... me."

She couldn't imagine how he could be so hurt, he had seemed fine the day before at school...

Suddenly, voices were heard outside.

"Dr. Briefs." a slimy voice said. Bulma watched as Vegeta's eyes grew wide, his face turning even paler. He tensed and pressed himself against the wall as the flow of tears intensified.

Outside, Dr. Briefs watched from his porch as the three men approached him. He crossed his arms. He had been going to get some boxes from the garage when he had heard their voices. Frieza's voice was horribly hard to forget.

"Mr. Kold." he could tell they had been drinking, but something far more sinister was worrying him. It was dark and foggy, the only light available being the one from his own home... but he could almost swear that the clothes they were wearing were covered in blood. He slowly descended the stairs. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"As a matter of fact, there is." Frieza answered, walking closer to him. "I seem to have lost my precious nephew. Seeing as this is the only house with the lights on, I can't help but wonder if he wandered inside to visit some high school acquaintance."

"No, he didn't." Dr. Briefs answered. "And I'm not sure I'd tell you if he had, judging on the state of your clothing and your sobriety. Or, lack thereof."

Frieza glared at Dr. Briefs for a split second before smiling widely.

"Not that it's any of your business, but Vegeta got into a horrible street fight. They beat him towards an inch of his life and that's how we found him. He was on heavy drugs, so he thought someone was chasing him. That's why he escaped. The blood on our clothes is from us trying to carry him back home. I need to find him because he is heavily injured, close to death, wandering the streets. It's urgent. And... he can be dangerous being so drugged." he said smoothly, looking like his drunkness had suddenly evaporated.

Inside, Bulma gasped and covered her mouth with the hand that Vegeta wasn't clutching.

Finally, for the first time, things clicked into place.

Vegeta had been lying all that time. He had been lying about his injuries, all the days he went missing, the gang fights, the falling down the stairs... It had always been Frieza! Bulma's hands shook as she realized that Vegeta had arrived beaten up to school ever since she could remember. Why hadn't anyone done anything? Why hadn't he told anybody? How many times before had he been in that exact same state, half-dead and consumed by horrible agony? Her eyes widened in mortification.

Unfortunately, Vegeta misinterpreted her horrified expresion. He thought she had believed Frieza and was going to tell him that he was there. His grip tightened on her hand with every ounce of strength that fear gave him.

"Please, no." he managed to choke out.

Bulma's soaked eyes followed the new stream of blood falling down his mouth. She grabbed his other hand and shushed him softly.

"I won't go anywhere. I didn't believe him." she assured. "You're safe."

Vegeta closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall, but he didn't relax completely. He wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and never wake up again, but he was far too scared. What if Bulma had lied to him and bolted out of the room when he least expected it? What if Frieza suddenly barged into the garage and dragged him away? There was not much he could do at that point except scream, and he wasn't very sure about that either...

Outside, Dr. Briefs was losing his patience.

"Frieza." he said harshly. "Vegeta is not here, and if what you say is true, then I can only assume that this coversation is stalling you and Vegeta has gone far away by now. I'd suggest you go on looking for your, uh, _precious_ nephew before his injuries get much worse."

Frieza growled low in his throat, but he knew that the doctor was right. He looked him up and down and realized that his clothes weren't bloodied, which meant he hadn't been in contact with the boy. He rolled his eyes and made a mental note to come back if they hadn't yet found Vegeta in an hour and a half. Them being awake at such hours was extremely suspicious. He motioned with his head for his minions to follow him and they sidestepped the old scientist before walking away, down the streets. Dr. Briefs watched them as they rounded the corner before heading into his house and towards the garage to get some boxes.

"He left." Bulma said, and Vegeta opened his eyes weakly. "You're safe. We'll take you to a hospital and - "

"No." he whispered, his eyes wide.

"Vegeta - "

The door behind her opened slowly, and Vegeta's eyes widened even more, if possible.

Dr. Briefs stood at the door.

"Jesus." he said as his eyes landed on the pair of teenagers on the floor.

"Daddy..." Bulma said, her voice trembling. "It's not what you think. F-Frieza was lying."

But the scientist didn't hear her. He hastily made his way towards the injured boy and kneeled next to him, his eyebrows furrowing at the fear in his eyes.

"Vegeta." Dr. Briefs said. "Frieza left. You're in a safe environment. Can you talk?"

Vegeta gasped and choked, letting out a few whimpers and moans.

"A-a-a... ha... li-little." he managed, before he began coughing uncontrollably. When he stopped, he moaned and his eyes closed, his head dropping forward.

"Gosh. Where does it hurt, son?"

"E-every... everywhere." he whispered.

"We need to get you medical attention." the scientist said. Vegeta gasped, his head shooting up and his eyes turning pleading and desperate again. Dr. Briefs shushed him softly and Bulma caressed the back of his hands with her thumbs, "We won't take you to a hospital. I know Frieza would check every hospital in the city and find you. Vegeta, as of now, you are under the Briefs' protection. We will not let Frieza get to you. We have enough medical resources to heal you. You'll be fine, Vegeta."

"Daddy." Bulma whimpered as Vegeta's convulsions suddenly grew worse.

"Bulma. Go to the medical department. Tell them it's a Level 5 emergency. We will need a team of no less than seven people on the ambulance van immediately, ready to recieve a severely injured patient in 5 minutes and absolutely ready for departure in exactly 30 minutes. Tell the workers that the van with the bags will need to be ready in twenty minutes. They need to load up on everything, so if there is anything you need to pack do it now Bulma." he commanded.

Bulma nodded and cleaned her tears before getting up and running out of the room.

The scientist turned to Vegeta and grabbed his hand, checkig his pulse. It was far too weak.

"Vegeta, son, listen to me." he said. Vegeta's eyes focused on him, his eyelids drooping tiredly. "Stay with me. I know you're in pain, but I need to lift you up and help you walk to the next room. Do you think you can get up if I help you?"

Vegeta nodded weakly, although he highly doubted it.

Dr. Briefs moved closer to Vegeta and wrapped his arms around the shivering boy, before getting up and taking him along with him. A horrible wave of pain crushed Vegeta from head to toe and he cried out, his legs giving out. The scientist had to fully hold him on his feet, and he winced at Vegeta's gasps of pain. He felt the warmth of Vegeta's blood seeping through their clothing and he swallowed, before he felt the boy trying to push away. Confused and afraid that he might be causing even more damage, he loosened his hold, still holding the boy on his feet but leaving some space between them. As soon as he did, Vegeta hunched over and vomited a worrying amount of blood all over the floor.

He cried out, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and the passed out.

* * *

The Capsule Corp. scientific experiments were, more often than not, highly dangerous, so had made sure to have as much clinics as he could fit into his mansion and laboratories. That included the ambulance van, which was actually the size of a school bus. Inside, there was a clinic with every state of the art medical equipment they could fit, perfect for any emergency they needed to face. Many people had said it was a crazy idea, but it had actually come in handy several times.

Like at that moment.

They had left the house as soon as possible, Dr. Briefs worrying at the thought of Frieza coming back to look for Vegeta. Bulma and Mrs. Briefs were traveling in the other van, despite Bulma's hissy fit.

Now they were looking over Vegeta's naked, devastated body. Half of the team were at the verge of tears.

"Report." Dr. Briefs said.

"Superficially, the patient presents numerous lacerations, deep enough to allow formation of scars, all over the body. Bruising is present in almost every inch of the patient's body, including his neck and face. It is heavy and will need anti-inflamatories. Bullet wound on left shoulder, will need immediate removal, disinfection and stitches. Two and thrid stage burns all over the torso area; especial concern for the burn mark on left pectoral." a doctor listed out. Dr. Briefs couldn't contain the sharp inhale at the last statement as he stared at the Kold Enterprises logo etched against his skin. "Several broken bones, including ribs which are main concern for internal injuries. Heavy internal bleeding, massive amounts of blood loss, almost complete failure of right lung and several more organs. Heavy head traumas, suspicion of severe skull fractures..." she continued listing out several injuries for a long while.

"Alright." Dr. Briefs sighed after she was finished.. "Let's work on at least getting him stable."

* * *

After working on the horrible injuries they boy had sustained, and seeing the awful scars that years of abuse had left behind, Dr. Briefs got a little paranoid, so he ordered to change the course. What was usually a 7 to 8 hour trip, turned into a 12 hour one. He wanted to make sure that Frieza wouldn't follow them.

Capsule Corp. had state of the art technology that they hadn't even released to the world yet, but which proved extremely effective. After 8 and a half hours operating on the boy's body, they finally managed to get him to a stable state. In a normal hospital, the procedure would've taken at least 24 hours.

Then they switched places. The whole staff went into the transportation van, where they had bunk beds and air mattresses, and they laid down to get some well-deserved rest; and Bulma went into the ambulance van to finally see Vegeta.

She began to cry when she saw him. There was an oxygen mask strapped to his face, and tubes were going into his nose. A thick, transparent one was strapped to his throat and that highly worried Bulma. His face wasn't bloodied anymore, but the bruises stood on it screaming the worst kind of abuse imaginable. Gauze was wrapped around his whole body, and his head. Needles were inserted into the crook of both his arms and hands, and cables were connected to his chest, spurting up into several machines. A thin, white sheet was covering his body. His skin was that same colour, but ridded with blue, red, purple and black.

She sighed as she watched him sleep calmly. At least he was resting now.

Looking around, she spotted a folder on a table in the far corner and went to look at it. It was Vegeta's medical report. Long pages full of handwritten notes about his injuries and the treatment he would have to receive. She didn't care to read them, they were all in medical terms that she could barely understand, but she still flipped around them in curiosity.

Suddenly, she turned a page to find a ziplock with various photographies inside.

Knowing she'd regret it later, she opened it and pulled them out. They were photographs of his various injuries with footnotes and sticky notes on them. She flipped through them, horrified. Tears cascaded down her face as she stared at them. She could've never imagined the injuries to be so horrible. How had he even been able to move? She sobbed heavily as she stared at a pair of pictures of horrible, black burn marks on his stomach and head. The footnote read: _"Second and third degree burn marks. Caused by electrocution device. Patient was likely submitted to extreme electrocutions for a long period of time."_

"Oh, my God." she whispered, flipping through more of them, her tears falling more rapidly and her whole body shaking. How was he even alive anymore?

One of the pictures, though, was the last straw. She recognized the Kold symbol, only it was etched in blood and blisters. The footnote read: _"Third degree burn mark. Suggests the victim was branded with burning metal. Will need several doses of Parnithymolia."_

She hastily put the pictures back into the plastic bag and placed it inside the folder.

A groan behind her made her jump out of her skin. She gasped and quickly whirled around, watching as Vegeta's eyes moved below his eyelids before he took a deep breath. He suddenly jerked as memories attacked his brain and his eyelids pried open, his wide eyes darting around the room.

Bulma immediately moved to shush him. She placed a hand on his forehead and the cold contact seemed to soothe him, but he still gasped and sweat broke out throughout his body.

"You're safe." Bulma said softly.

"Bulma?" he gasped, shaking uncontrollably. "Where am I?"

"You're in one of Capsule Corp.'s - "

"Is this a hospital?" he asked, panicked, although he was sure he knew the answer. The beeping machines and medical devices around him told him as much.

"No." Bulma answered softly, to his surprise. "We're inside Capsule Corp.'s ambulance van. We're headed for out vacation house, far away from West City. It's not a hospital, but you're healed."

As soon as the fear began to evaporate, Vegeta could feel the soreness creeping through his body, but it was a thousand times better than the awful pain he had felt before. He slowly relaxed and took slow breaths, closing his eyes. Bulma watched him and slowly pulled a stool from the corner closer to Vegeta's bed. She sat next to him and grabbed his hand between hers, but he pulled away, his instincts still on edge.

"I..." he started, but he didn't know what to say. "I need some water."

Bulma nodded and got up from her chair, pouring some water into a glass from a container. She placed a straw in it and went back to his side, gently removing the oxygen mask from his face a little so that he could sip from it. He coughed a little before catching the straw between his lips.

The water felt wonderful. He had been so damn thirsty.

When he had drank enough to quench his thirst, Bulma removed the glass and placed it on the floor before rearranging the mask very gently. She watched as he closed his eyes again. She wanted to ask him why had Frieza done that, how long had that been happening, why hadn't he told anyone or seeked any help... but she knew that he would recoil from that like a cat from water, and he was far too exhausted. She watched as his breath deepened and he fell asleep again. She sighed and raked a hand across her hair, pushing it back from her face.

Sighing deeply, she got up from the chair and rubbed her face with her hands. Her phone suddenly began vibrating in her pocket. Confused, she took it out.

Goku.

"Hello?"

 _"Bulma! Where are you?"_ he asked desperately.

"I'm heading to the vacation - "

 _"Bulma, Vegeta's gone missing."_ his voice shook. _"His siblings... got here very early in the morning. They were very scared and they said he was very injured. Has he tried to contact you? I'm very worried."_

"Goku." Bulma said as realisation sank in on her. Had Goku known about Vegeta's condition all along? "Goku, did you know about everything?"

 _"What?"_

"Did you know Frieza was responsible for his injuries?" she inquired in a hard voice, already knowing the answer.

 _"How did you...? Bulma, is he with you?"_

She took a deep breath to try to calm herself.

"Yes, he's with me." she said. "We're headed to our vacation house where we'll heal him. Are his siblings safe?"

 _"Yes, they're here with us. I want to talk to him."_

"He's asleep." Bulma answered. "Goku, how could you keep it a secret? If you knew why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

 _"Bulma, you don't understand. He... he'll tell you himself when he wakes up. But, he's safe right?"_

"Yes, he's safe. I'll call you when he wakes up. I can't believe what you did." she said, before hanging up and turning her cellphone off. She was very pissed off with Goku.

* * *

As soon as they arrived, it took two hours for the medical team to move Vegeta to one of the bedrooms and rearrange all of the medical equipments he needed. The medical bay in the vacation house was far too small and Mrs. Briefs had insisted, after hours of crying, that he should be as comfortable as possible.

Bulma sat on the desk inside his room, reading a book while she watched over Vegeta, who was sleeping soundly. He was still pale, and a doctor would often come through the door to check his vitals and tell Bulma some very encouraging words, which she half-heartedly tried to believe.

Finally, around 3 p.m., Vegeta began to stir.

Bulma was flipping through various channels on the T.V. that was located inside his room when she heard his low groan. She jumped and immediately straightened from her slumped position, her eyes wide and alert.

Vegetates memories came rushing back, again, as they often did when he woke up suddenly. He panicked at first, but the calm room around him made him hesitate, before he remembered his short conversation with Bulma. They had changed rooms since then, to a much wider one, but he was still connected to various machines and enveloped in layers of gauze and healing implements.

"Hey." Bulma said softly as his eyes focused on her. "How are you feeling?"

He swallowed thickly.

"Better." he muttered. "Why did you bring me here?"

Bulma's eyebrows furrowed.

"What else was I supposed to do? We wouldn't leave you there."

"I thought you'd take me to a hospital."

"You said you didn't want to. Besides, he would've followed you there."

Vegeta sighed and looked away from her blue eyes.

"Why did you care?" he asked softly.

"He was the one who did this to you!" she said, her voice pitching to a higher tone. "Do you really think we would've - "

"I didn't think you'd take my word over his." he said, softly, something dark and painful settling over his eyes. Bulma swallowed a thick lump in her throat and was about to console him, but his eyes froze up again in an emotionless mask as he looked up at her. "I need to call Kakkarot. I need to talk to my siblings."

"Oh, of course. Goku called me this morning, they're at his house and safe." she said, pulling out her phone and turning it on. While it loaded, Bulma looked at Vegeta, whose eyes were dropping again. His recovery was taking its toll on him. The doctors had warned them that Vegeta would need a lot of rest and sleep. "Do you think they're safe there? Frieza must know that Goku is your friend."

Vegeta sighed softly and nodded.

"There was nowhere else I could send them. It was late, and raining... and I was at the verge of death... I just hope Frieza thinks that I was smart enough not to go there." he said, before coughing a little and hissing in pain.

Bulma nodded and handed him the phone before stepping out to grant him some privacy. To her surprise, her father was just outside, reading some things off a notepad.

"Daddy?"

"Oh, dear." he said as he looked up from his notes. "I was just going in to check on Vegeta. Is he awake?"

"Yeah, he just woke up. He's on the phone with Goku; his siblings are staying there."

Her father frowned.

"Are they alright?"

"Yeah, they're fine."

"We should arrange for them to come here as soon as possible."

"I... think you should talk about that with Vegeta." she said hesitantly. She knew he'd rather make those decisions by himself.

They waited for a few minutes before walking back in. Vegeta was looking at the ceiling, the phone still in his hands.

"Vegeta." Dr. Briefs greeted him. The teenager turned his head. "I believe we have met briefly before. I'm Dr. Briefs."

"Doctor." Vegeta greeted, his voice soft and hoarse.

"Are they alright?" Bulma asked softly as she took her seat next to his bed.

"They're fine." Vegeta answered shortly. His eyes settled on the doctor, who smiled at him kindly.

"Would you like to sit up?" the doctor said. Vegeta nodded and he carefully, with Bulma's help, steadied him into a sitting position and accommodated his pillows behind him. He groaned and gasped, his eyes watering by the time he laid against the headboard, but he was a bit more comfortable. "I'd like to talk to you about your condition."

"I don't want to talk about what happened." he growled immediately, glaring at the man.

"Oh, no. I don't want you to talk about it until you're ready to do so, son." Dr. Briefs said. "This time I will be the one who'll do the talking. I just want to talk to you about your treatment, your procedures, and what will happen from here onwards." he turned to his daughter and smiled sweetly. "Bulma, dear, could you please leave us alone?"

Bulma was about to argue, but a look from his father told her it was for the best. She smiled at Vegeta and got up, leaving the room.

"Now." Dr. Briefs said, opening his notebook. "Most of your injuries should heal with the medications we'll be giving you. They'll be quite a lot, and you'll be feeling tired and weak for a few days, while your body recovers. Due to your internal injuries, you'll have to eat bland foods and drink a lot of water. You might find yourself very dizzy, and I wouldn't be surprised if you threw up a few times, even some blood, but you're alright. You're out of harm's way. Now... about the electrocution - " he started. He hesitated when Vegeta's eyes closed minutely and he shuddered, swallowing. He opened them again and tried to be strong, but the scientist could see the pain in his eyes, the memories going through his head. "Electricity will remain in your body for a few days, so you might feel a bit of a dull ache, but it's completely normal. It won't harm you anymore, but be careful with home appliances and stuff..." the doctor trailed off when he saw Vegeta's eyes watering. "Vegeta..."

"What about the burn marks?" he asked hoarsely.

Dr. Briefs took a deep breath. That was the part that he didn't want to get to.

"Most of them, we will be able to significantly reduce. Some scars will remain but - "

"Doctor." Vegeta said, his voice shaking a little. He cleared his throat. "Is there anything you can do about the... the symbol?"

Dr. Briefs sighed and looked into Vegeta's eyes.

"We will treat it. We will try our absolute best to cure it." he said. "But I can't promise you that it will disappear."

Vegeta closed his eyes, as if he simply couldn't bare the pain of truth.

"But..." the boy said. He opened his eyes again and the doctor was truly surprised to see them dry. Vegeta's strength of spirit would never cease to amaze him. "There's a possibility?"

The doctor stared at Vegeta for a minute before leaning back on the chair and putting the notebook aside.

"I wasn't going to tell you this, but I might as well." he said. "We're trying to develop a... burn healing cream. It significantly reduces the scars left behind by burn marks, repairs the damaged skin and everything. It's not done yet. We're still running experiments and to be honest we've had minimum success. If it works, we would be able to cure it; maybe even make it disappear. But there's a possibility that... we won't make it."

Vegeta looked away and nodded, feeling exhausted again. After a few more words and giving him a couple of pills, the doctor helped Vegeta to lie down again and left to let him rest.

* * *

Night came soon enough.

Vegeta had slept almost the entire day, only waking up to eat and take his medicines.

Bulma had spent the day consoling her mother, who wanted nothing more than to see the boy and smother him with hugs and kisses, but the doctors had advised little contact with him, since he was traumatised and jumpy in other people's presence. Everyone had a hard time sleeping that night, but they eventually managed.

However, in the middle of the night, Bulma got rudely awakened.

Vegeta was screaming to the top of his lungs, apparently pleading. He sounded horribly scared and in pain.

Without hesitation, she ran out of her room and bolted up the stairs, meeting with her parents at his door.

The scene that greeted them was every bit as bad as they imagined.

* * *

 _Thank you for reading! :)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank you for your reviews!_

* * *

The three Briefs and a couple of doctors stood at the door.

Vegeta was screaming his lungs out, his body writhing and twisting as if he was being possessed. The truth was, he was being consumed by a nightmare, his mind reliving the horrible tortures he had endured. His violent movements had done disasters. The needles had been ripped from his arms and hands, the oxygen mask askew, the machines beeping crazily and extremely loud. His wounds had also reopened and blood was flowing freely down his body, drenching the gauze and sheets, turning everything a horrible shade of dark red. It also dripped down onto the floor, creating puddles that were spreading. It was pure luck that they had removed the tube from his throat hours before.

The horrible screams of agony and fear were horrendous, and the onlookers could barely imagine what could be going on in his head.

The scene was horrible. Blood everywhere, and a twisting, writhing body of a young boy going through the worst torments imaginable and more. It was like a horror movie.

Finally, everyone reacted.

The doctors rushed to the bed, while Bulma hugged her crying mother.

"Vegeta, son. Wake up." Dr. Briefs said. They couldn't do much with the way his arms and legs were flying around.

"PLEASE! NO, PLEASE! STOP!" he continued screaming, tears coursing down his face.

"Vegeta!" Bulma screamed, sobbing.

Nobody knew if it was Bulma's voice or simply the end of the nightmare, but his eyes flew open and he gasped, sitting up. As soon as he did, pain attacked his entire body, just like it had just a day before. He closed his eyes shut and cried out through clenched teeth. A hand placed itself on his shoulder, but he was still in shock and full of panic, so he flinched away, heavily, his wide eyes darting around the room. His brain began to tell him that he was at the Briefs' house, far from Frieza, but panic was there, gripping his soul and making his heart beat inside his ribs like exploding bombs.

There were too many faces around him, looking at him, talking, prodding him, trying to grab him. He couldn't take it. He felt dizzy and in so much pain.

"Leave me alone." he said hoarsely, his throat closing up. He coughed blood into his bandaged hands and knew that his organs had also gone back to a bad place. But he didn't care. He felt like he couldn't breathe. "Leave me!" he shouted, and everyone in the room grew silent.

"Vegeta..." Dr. Briefs started, but the boy simply jumped out of his bed, ducking the doctors. He looked down at his body. He was only wearing some white briefs that had been borrowed to him, but that was the least of his concerns. The gauze he was using was so bloodied it had no use anymore, and blood caked his whole body, red rivulets rolling down. He shook horribly, both from the pain and the fear coursing through him. Flashes of his nightmare still invaded his mind and he couldn't think straight. He could only remember Frieza, and Zarbon and Dodoria and the awful, horrible torture. There was nothing in his head but fear, panic, horror, clouding his mind and gripping his heart in an icy grip that he couldn't escape from.

"My boy..." Dr. Briefs tried again, reaching out to him.

Vegeta reeled back, his eyes wide and watering. He shuddered suddenly and moaned, his hands grabbing his stomach.

"Vegeta." Bulma sobbed. "Please, your bandages need changing and - "

"Shut up!" he shouted, his voice strained and pained. He sobbed for a minute as the agony didn't relent, before he bolted away from the people, into the bathroom, closing the door behind him with a slam and locking it. As soon as he was inside, his internal injuries made themselves known and he pitched over in front of the toilet, throwing up strongly.

Outside, Bulma cried as she went over to the door, knocking on it. Dr. Briefs also approached the door, his face grim and worried as he heard Vegeta's moans as he vomited.

"He needs to get the bandages changed, the wounds re-stitched and disinfected." A doctor said from behind them.

"Vegeta." Bulma whimpered, knocking on the door insistently. "Please, let us help you."

"Leave me alone!" he screamed again. He sat back and rested his back against the wall, breathing heavily. He knew he needed help. He knew that the bandages would need to be changed, and that he needed rest, but he just couldn't bring himself to face everyone outside.

"Vegeta." the scientist said, calmly. "Do you know how to change your own bandages? Have you ever done so before?"

Vegeta looked at the door.

"Yes." he said hoarsely. He was quite an expert in it, too.

"I know you need some time alone." the doctor said. He shushed everyone's protests by slashing his hand through the air. He knew what he was doing. "There's a first aid kit under the sink. If you wish to, you can change your own bandages, apply some alcohol on the wounds, and rest. As soon as you're ready, you can come out and we will help you. Is that okay with you?"

Vegeta swallowed as relief swept through him. He _did_ need some time alone. He was feeling a horrible urge to cry.

"Dad..." Bulma whispered.

"Yes." Vegeta's voice interrupted her.

"Very well." Dr. Briefs said. He stepped back from the door and turned to his despaired wife. "Honey, would you please call some maids to change the bedding on Vegeta's bed? Gentlemen," he said, turning to the doctors "please be alert for when he gets out. We'll still need to re-stitch the wounds."

"Daddy." Bulma said, still not moving from the door. "I'll stay. Please, let me stay."

The doctor looked at her for a long moment before nodding.

"As long as you don't push him. He needs to rest... psychologically."

Everyone left the room, and Bulma sat on the floor, her back resting against the bathroom door and tears still running down her face. She could hear Vegeta's sobs inside the bathroom, and his moans of pain and she tried to be silent. She could only imagine what he was going through.

Inside, Vegeta was almost regretting his decision.

His body was so sore and painful he could barely move, and the simple motion of taking the gauze roll out of the box was hell, let alone wrapping it around himself. But the worse had to be to unwrap the previous one. Exposing the wounds was horrible, looking at them again was terrifying and applying the alcohol was... practically impossible. He sobbed and moaned as he did it, trying to refrain from screaming, but whimpering cries still escaped his mouth, and tears coursed down his face. He was also exhausted and wanted to fall into a deep sleep.

He didn't change all of them. He couldn't. He couldn't reach the ones on his back, and he wasn't sure if he should remove the ones on the burn marks, but he did as much as he could.

When he finished, he stared coldly at the gauze covering the left side of his chest. He closed his eyes and shook as he grabbed the sink, pulling himself up with cry of pain.

"Vegeta?" Bulma said from the other side of the door, her voice whimpering and concerned.

He growled. He thought he had been left alone. Well, it didn't matter. At least she had been silent throughout it all. He stared at himself in the mirror and hatred burnt inside of his body. His face was horribly bruised, his eyes red and wet, and black bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in years... which was partially true. He sighed and looked down at his bandaged wrists and hands, and then his eyes returned to the mirror and he stared at his chest. His heart beat maddeningly... He didn't want to see it but a big part of him was screaming that he should.

His hand lifted to his chest and his hand lingered above the patch of white covering the damaged skin... and then he lowered it.

No, he wasn't strong enough to see it yet.

He slowly walked backwards until he touched the wall and slid down, his knees bending and drawing close to his chest and his arms hugging them. He took slow breaths, but the pain was unrelenting. He still wanted to be alone, though.

"Are you okay?" a soft voice said from the other side of the door.

"Yes." he answered. "Leave me alone."

"I can't." she said.

"Bulma - "

"There's something I've been meaning to say." she said, her voice trembling. Vegeta had never heard her like that. He had only seen her cry the days after her break up with Yamcha and even then her voice sounded angry and harsh. He had never heard such sorrow in her voice and it wrenched his heart. "I'm so, so sorry. I can't even begin to describe how sorry I am. I-I misjudged you for years."

"You weren't the only one." he said. "It's not your fault."

"But it is." she insisted. "I always told you to stop getting into gang fights, to be more responsible... Oh, God, I judged every single thing you did. I'm such an asshole!" tears coursed down her face and she covered it with her hands.

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed at her sobs.

"Yeah, you are." he said. "But it's not your fault. How could you have known?"

"I know, but still... I feel so bad." she sniffed and cleaned her tears. "Please, will you forgive me? I was such a bitch. We became friends and I was still so mean to you."

"You kept reaching out to me when we had that fight." he said.

"I care about you." she confessed, her voice so soft Vegeta almost didn't hear it. "More than you might think. I'm really sorry for being the way I was. I had no right to judge you. Do you forgive me, please?"

"Stop." Vegeta growled. "Just stop it. You're pitying me and it makes me sick. Please leave the goddamned room."

"Pity you?" Bulma said, as if the thought had never crossed her head. "If anything, I pity myself. I'm such a weak loser and you've gone through so much and came out alive. I sometimes think you pity me for being just... momma's girl. I admire you."

"Bullshit." he growled, but a part of him believed it, and it gave light to his heart that he didn't think he could ever get back. He remembered again how she could lift his spirits so much with just words and he realised how much he had missed her. He slowly got up, groaning, and opened the door. Bulma was sitting there and he wondered if she would have stayed with him throughout the whole night. He didn't doubt it one bit.

She instantly got up and cleaned her tears, smiling at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit." he answered, limping over to the newly changed bed.

"I'll - Do you want me to call the doctors?"

"Fine." he growled, lying down as if he couldn't care less. Truth was that he wanted to get healed and sleep once and for all.

.

Bulma waited at the door as the doctors changed the rest of Vegeta's bandages, hooked him up to pain killers, disinfected and re-stitched the wounds, re-attached the needles and tubes and checked his vitals before leaving. She smiled at her dad, hoping he'd understand that she still wanted to stay by his side.

Once they were alone again, she walked over to his bed. He was drowsy from the medicine, blinking weakly, his glazed over eyes staring at the window.

"I'll leave now." she whispered.

"No." he answered, surprising her. His head moved and his eyes locked on her. "Stay. Talk to me."

"What about?" she asked, sitting on the desk.

"Anything." he said, groggily. "Anything to keep my mind away from Frieza."

She swallowed and nodded, before choosing whatever topic she could think off and beginning to talk. She spoke about Chichi and Goku, and Krillin and Eighteen, and how Eighteen's brother had come back from the University for vacations and was making her life a living hell. She went on for hours, and even stayed there when he fell asleep. Finally, when she was fairly certain that no more nightmares would haunt him that night, she left to her room and slept, her heart at rest.

* * *

 _Vegeta shook in fear as Frieza slowly walked behind him, the blowtorch still in his hand. The hideous burns he had left on his front were still smoking, and hurting so horribly much. His wide eyes slowly focused on Frieza and Dodoria, who were smiling at him, their horrid lips twisted cruelly._

 _"What's wrong, Vegeta?" Zarbon asked. "Don't like the smell of cooked meat?"_

 _The three of them burst out laughing and Vegeta closed his eyes shut. He heard the tool igniting again and he flinched, his back arching instinctively at the heat he felt. He could feel the flame getting dangerously close to the base of his neck and he shook even more._

 _"Please." he whispered. "Please, stop."_

 _But his pleas went unanswered as Frieza began to burn the top of his spine with the tool, wrenching a horrible scream from the boy's mouth. Vegeta thought it couldn't get worse, but Frieza slowly moved the weapon downwards. The flame slowly destroyed the skin, leaving a horrid burn all long his back, over his spine. Frieza even made sure to pass the blowtorch various times over the same spot, prolonging the torture and the pain. After a long time of Vegeta's screams and pleas for mercy and the fire creating a horrible, vertical burn on his back, the monster reached the small of his back._

 _"Nooo! Please, please! No! Stop!" he begged. Frieza knew how sensitive the small of his back was, so he spent his time there, moving the tool in circles and watching as the skin tore open and bled. Vegeta's screams and sobs only fuelled him further._

 _Finally, he removed the tool and Vegeta slumped over, crying and quivering._

 _"How terribly weak you are." Frieza said._

 _"Please, stop." he begged._

 _"Again! Burn his entire back!" Dodoria laughed._

 _"Should I?" he whispered behind Vegeta's ear. The boy shuddered at the cold breath and sobbed._

 _"No." he whimpered._

 _He was ignored as Frieza placed the burning tool against another spot on his back._

Vegeta woke up with a gasp, his face covered in sweat and his whole body shaking.

He swallowed and closed his eyes again, trying to calm down. At least it hadn't been as intense or violent as the one he had had a couple nights before. He dragged a hand down his face and looked around. He had been in that room for two days and a half, with only the Briefs and the doctors for company. He spent most of the time sleeping and talking to Bulma, who made it a point to visit him almost the entire time.

Their relationship was going well. They were back to talking and laughing... as much as Vegeta could, anyway. He was still awfully traumatised and exhausted most of the time.

Bulma walked in then, carrying a plate with soup.

"Hey." she said, smiling widely. Then she saw his pale and sweaty face and her smile vanished, giving way to worry. "Are you alright?"

"I had a nightmare." he whispered. Then he cleared his throat. "But I'm fine."

"Oh." she said softly. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." he growled. He sat up with much effort and took the soup from her hands.

"Vegeta..." she said softly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Bulma." he groaned.

"Why didn't you ever look for help?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

He swallowed and looked away, towards the window. It was raining heavily.

"I did." he said after a long silence. Bulma's eyes widened and she gasped. Who could've ignored such a plea from a young boy? Vegeta looked at her and sighed. He didn't want to talk about it, but he knew that she would keep on pushing him, so he might as well get it over with. "Once, I passed out in school. I decided to tell the nurse and then a few teachers who questioned me... They called Frieza and questioned him." He looked down at his hands and swallowed. "Frieza convinced them that I was lying, and the ones that he didn't entirely convince, he managed to get fired. Then he..." he closed his eyes and scoffed. "Well, you can imagine."

"Oh, my God." she whispered, placing a hand on her mouth. "But how could they? You were beaten up. There was proof."

"Who would believe the rebellious boy over the adored politician?" he said bitterly.

"Didn't you try with someone else?" she asked. "A friend or something."

"Kakkarot knew." he said. He didn't mention the part where he was terrified of his uncle's reaction if he ever tried again."But only because he found out on his own. I made him swear that he wouldn't tell anyone, not even his parents or brother."

"Oh, God." she whispered. "I was so harsh on him when we spoke. But still... I don't know how nobody noticed."

"Actually, Mr. Zorn noticed, you know." he said, his eyes boring holes into the cooling soup he had yet to taste. "He's been questioning me for years. A few months ago he finally decided to act. He called Frieza and accused him. Two days later the man had been fired and he had moved to another country."

"Jesus. Is that why he left?" she said. "That's awful."

Vegeta finally lifted the spoon and drank from the soup. Bulma watched him and quickly changed the topic as she saw the sadness breaking through his eyes.

* * *

The young boy looked at himself in the mirror.

He was face to face with his reflection again, only this time he hadn't escaped into the bathroom. The doctors had thought it best to remove the needles and machines during the night, leaving only the oxygen mask, in case he had another nightmare... which he had, only he hadn't screamed this time. But it had still been a bad one. He had gotten up to wash his face, and now he was looking at himself emotionlessly.

He had no idea what was going to happen from then on. He had been in their house for almost a week and they had mentioned nothing about what would happen when he got better or when they had to return. Dr. Briefs had mentioned something about his siblings coming over and how they should arrange it. He wasn't sure about it... It would look extremely suspicious.

His thoughts took a sharp turn when his eyes landed on his chest.

That stupid piece of gauze kept taunting him. He remembered the moment when Frieza had placed the scorching metal on his skin and shuddered. He remembered the mark that had been left behind... He wanted to see it. It was morbid, masochistic, and it would destroy him but he had to see it again. He needed to.

He needed to know how it looked.

Slowly, he removed the gauze from the wound, his whole body shaking.

The Kold symbol seemed to gaze back at him, as if it were laughing. Frieza's hideous cackles reached his head and his eyes watered in anger, fear, despair... depression crushed his soul and he closed his eyes shut. The burn was beginning to scar, and the shape he hated the most in the universe was being permanently etched on his body. A sob escaped his mouth and he opened his eyes again, crying as he couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was horrible.

It was so painful, both physically and psychologically. It tore him apart. His pride, dignity and everything he was, slowly shrunk into itself. How would his father react if he ever saw such a hideous mark on him?

Anger so deep he couldn't even understand enveloped him and he screamed. He felt so much RAGE! His body reacted by itself and a fist sank into the mirror, shattering it into a million pieces. He cried as he looked at the shards of glass that gave a destroyed reflection of himself. That was how we felt.

Like shards of broken glass.

* * *

Bulma heard the scream and instantly rushed to Vegeta's room.

To her surprise, no one else had heard it.

She slowly entered the room and found the bathroom door ajar. She could hear angry muttering inside and she walked over, pushing the door open. She gasped as she saw Vegeta standing in front of the now broken mirror, tears coursing down his face and his right hand bleeding. She looked down at the pieces of mirror on the floor and drove a hand to her mouth.

Vegeta looked up at her and growled, anger apparent on his face.

"What do you want?" he said in the darkest voice he could muster.

"I heard you screaming and - "

"And you thought you could just barge in? Get the hell out!" he shouted, pointing at the door. She gave a step back.

"Vegeta, what happened?"

"What do you think, you dumb woman?" he kept on screaming. "I broke the fucking mirror! Can't you see? Has your stupidity blinded you?"

"No, I - "

"I said leave!"

"Vegeta, I don't want to fight so be quiet!" she said, getting exasperated. "I came to check on you, that's all. You don't have to be so rude. And, yes, I see you broke the mirror. My question was directed towards why the hell you did it."

"Because I fucking wanted to." he muttered. "What's it to you?"

Bulma sighed and slowly walked over to him. He looked away as she grabbed his hand and inspected the new wounds. They weren't too bad, certainly nothing compared to what he had already gone through, but they'd need cleaning and bandaging. She caressed the back of his hand with her thumbs, and suddenly her eyes caught it. She couldn't help the flinch she gave. The horrid burn was naked, and the shape was appearing in awful scar tissue, although most of it was still bloodied and blistered. Her eyes watered as she imagined the agony, physical and psychological, he must've gone through. Before she could help it, a sob escaped her mouth.

"Stop crying." he whispered. He lifted a hand and cleaned the tears falling down her face.

"It's awful." she said, looking down. Vegeta's hands jerked away.

"I know." he answered, his voice shaking.

"No, no." she said, looking up at him and grabbing his hand again. "I didn't mean the scar. I meant... what they did to you."

He swallowed hard and flinched as her other hand lifted, hovering over the burn. She placed her delicate fingers just below it, so as not to hurt him, and the cold contact soothed him. He sighed and his head dropped, his forehead resting on the top of her head. He was once again overcome by the intense need to sleep and he cursed the medicines they had been giving him.

"It was." he said. "But I'm here now."

"And you'll be fine." she said. She lifted her head and he lifted his in turn, and they looked at each other. "Why did you shatter the mirror?" she asked softly. "You can tell me anything and you know it."

"I can't." he said. "I can't talk about what happened."

"It's okay." she said very softly. "I don't need to know what they did. Only when you're ready. Just... tell me about the mirror."

"I broke the mirror because I didn't want to see it." he said. "It's hideous. And it's permanent. Frieza won. He always fucking wins!" he shouted the last part, his fists clenching. "I-I've tried to... I..." he closed his eyes. "I can't do anything. I'm weak."

The last word was whispered with so much pain and shame, it broke Bulma's heart. She turned around and grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink. Then she grabbed his hand and led him into the room. They sat on the bed and she took out the gauze, lifting his hand.

"I know that what you went through was horrible. You are allowed to cry, and scream, and be angry and sad. But don't you dare be ashamed, Vegeta. Don't you dare. If anything, you should be proud of yourself. You are not weak. Far from it. Vegeta... you faced Frieza over, and over, and over again. He beat you down, he tortured you, he did unspeakable things to you and you still got up the next day to take care of two small kids and go to school. You are the bravest, strongest person I've ever known. Anyone else would've crumbled under a single minute with Frieza yet you've stood up with it for a lifetime."

"I didn't have a choice." he said.

"It's not about whether you had a choice or not." she answered. "It's the fact that you were so brave to face it every single time, and then face the next day as if nothing had happened. It makes you incredibly strong, and believe it or not, it makes you a bigger man than Frieza ever could be. He has tried to break you over and over, with everything he can imagine to bring you down and tear you apart," her eyes darted briefly to the burn mark, "and so far he's failed because you are here, getting back to your full strength, and you keep on fighting. Grown men would've been torn down by now. They'd be catatonic."

She slowly wrapped his hand in the gauze as she spoke, relieved to see that none of the wounds were too deep. Then she took out some cream and painkillers and looked at him. His face was emotionless and stoic but she knew her words were getting through to him.

"Do you remember the day we met at the cemetery?" she asked as she applied the cream on the burn. Vegeta hissed, but the burning sensation slowly receded until it was only a dull throb. "'It is not to ignore our fears that makes us strong, but to face them with a smile', it said." Vegeta's eyes widened. He was truly surprised that she would remember it. "You are the epitome of that phrase. I didn't know your dad, but I'd bet an arm that that phrase was inspired on you." Vegeta's heart beat so hard in his chest that he thought he would have a heart attack. How did she know about his fear of his father not being proud of him? How could she hit the spot so strongly? It was as if she could read his goddamn head.

"Don't." he said in a low growl. He didn't want her to hit his weakness like that. He didn't want to be vulnerable. "You don't know anything about me, my father or my life."

"Maybe not." she whispered, tears escaping her eyes again as she covered the burn with the bandage. "But I know what I'm telling you. I know that you're far from weak. Fear, depression, desperation, despair... That's a normal thing to feel. Heck, I feel that when a maths problem is too damn hard for me. But that anger, that pride, that fuel that keeps you going is what makes you who you are, and nothing can take that away from you. Not even Frieza... not even yourself."

Vegeta looked down at the bandage and the symbolism of her actions struck him. She had covered his wound and was attempting to cover the psychological ones as well. He took a deep breath and suddenly found her arms wrapped around his neck.

"So, do you?" she whispered in his ear.

He hesitated, confused, before placing one of his hands on her back, using the other one to lean backwards as she hung onto him.

"What?"

"Do you forgive me?"

He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes, enjoying the smell of her hair, and the feel of her soft skin against his bare chest.

"Yes, you annoying girl."

* * *

 _There you go._

 _This was mostly BulmaxVegeta. I know it was sort of slow but I think I needed to start re building their relationship._

 _Thank you for reading!_


	16. Chapter 16

The days slowly went by and it got better and better.

Vegeta was healing fine. He still woke up in pain and sometimes couldn't stomach some foods, but mostly he was alright. Bulma would help him get off of his bed and walk around for a bit, to try to get his legs used to it again. They had received severe damage and the doctors had said that he'd need help getting back to track with most activities. That caused for him and Bulma to hang out at every waking hour, which were becoming more and more frequent since the medicines were gradually reduced and he didn't need to sleep so much anymore. They would talk, laugh, fight, insult each other and go back to laughing again.

The nightmares continued, but none were as violent as the one he had had on his first night there. He would still wake up screaming a few nights, and Bulma was always there to calm him down and talk to him until his mind stopped freaking out and he could sleep again. Vegeta would never say it, but he greatly appreciated it. Nothing was worse than waking up in fear and despair to find himself alone with his own horrible memories for company. Well, there was always waking up from a nightmare to find it's main character sitting right next to him prepared to do much worse... But Frieza wasn't there.

That was the best. Not having to worry about hearing Frieza's footsteps around the house, or having him come into his room unexpectedly or sneak up behind him. Going to sleep on his own accord instead of getting knocked out was also a big plus.

Dr. and Mrs. Briefs treated him like their own son. The doctor was almost always busy in the lab, but when he was present he would strike up pleasant conversations with Vegeta, patting him in the back and joking with him. Mrs. Briefs would try to hug him at every opportunity, trying to coddle and kiss him all the time. She would give him food (approved by the doctors) all the time. It made Vegeta extremely uncomfortable since he didn't know how to handle such situations. It had been years since an adult had shown any kind of love or concern for him and he didn't know how to react. Besides, he hated physical contact, so more often than not he would try to avoid them entirely.

Another week had gone by, and they finally arranged everything for Tarble and Trunks to come to the vacation house.

He could walk freely now, albeit limping a little, so he stood at the door as he watched the car park right in front of the house. One of Capsule Corps' drivers had gone to pick them up and take them the whole way up there.

Bulma was next to Vegeta, watching with tenderness as his eyes lightened with excitement and joy.

As soon as the kids got down and spotted Vegeta, they ran to him, excited like never. They hadn't seen him in two weeks, after all! Vegeta knelt down, ignoring the slight throb in his hips and knees, and hugged them both.

"Vegeta!" they said.

"We missed you." Tarble said. "We thought a bad thing had happened to you."

"We thought we'd have to live at Goku's house forever.." Trunks whimpered, his face hidden in Vegeta's neck. Vegeta shushed him and caressed the back of his head.

"You know I would never leave you." he said. "I'll always be back. You know that."

Bulma's eyes watered as a horrible thought entered her mind. What if Vegeta had died that night?

The three siblings hugged for a long while before Vegeta got up and grabbed their hands to lead them inside.

* * *

Maids had already arranged the little kid's room. They had enough rooms for each of them to have one for themselves, but they didn't like to sleep alone. At times, a few nightmares got them as well. Not nearly as violent and awful as Vegeta's, but enough to have them knocking on Vegeta's door to sleep with him, or to go to their other brother's bed.

They were playing at the pool as Vegeta and Bulma sat by a nearby table and watched. Even if it was just a few hours away, it was almost always sunny in their vacation house, so they were enjoying the day outside. Due to his injuries, Vegeta couldn't get in the pool, but he could still sit back and enjoy as he spoke with Bulma.

The girl stared as the small kids played with a ball and laughed. They were so young, and cute... and they had next to nobody in their lives.

"Vegeta, can I ask you something?" she said softly.

"Oh, not this again." he groaned, glaring at her.

"I just..." she looked at him and swallowed nervously. "What happened to your mom?"

Vegeta stiffened and looked away, his whole body tensing.

"That's none of your business."

"When we were doing the essay you mentioned your father's death but you never mentioned your mother." she said softly.

"That's because I don't want to talk about her."

Bulma watched as his frowned deepened and his eyes darkened. She could feel his sadness and was one again made aware of how tuned she was to his feelings, even the ones that he kept under his stoic mask.

"Is she alive?" she asked in a low voice.

Vegeta stayed silent for a moment before his eyes turned to her. He knew that he could tell her anything now. She had been there every step of the way. She wouldn't judge or pity him... at least not that he would notice. He sighed through his nose and looked into the distance.

"Yes, she's alive. She abandoned us." he said. He cleared his throat and glared at the water as he spoke. Burma's gasp only made him angrier. "After my father died, she lived with us and Frieza for a while, but then she left."

"Do you know where she went?"

"Of course I know. I've visited her countless times. I've tried to convince her to come back or... well, to let us live with her. It's no use." he answered, his eyes getting lost in his memories.

"I'm sure that if she knew..." Bulma started, but Vegeta's bitter scoff stopped her.

"She knows. She knows every single bit. She's seen the injuries, and I've told her a million times what he's done to me." He said, his voice getting angrier and darker with each word. "Frieza started being a fucking bastard when she left and since then I've tried. I was only a kid, and I went to her fucking house and showed her, and begged her and even cried and she always ended up saying no and sending me back to him."

"Oh, Vegeta..." Bulma said softly, her heart breaking into a million pieces.

"I've even tried to tell her to take Trunks and Tarble with her. She's scared of Frieza going after me if I left but I'm sure he couldn't care less about them, but she still says no." he said. "So, basically, yes. She's dead to me."

Bulma swallowed and remained quiet as she stared at the kids. She wanted to hug him, tell him she was sorry and that everything would be okay, but she didn't want him to think that she pitied him, even though his words had crushed her sensitive heart.

"What do your siblings say?"

"They missed her when she left, and cried a lot, but Trunks was only a few months old and Tarble was about to turn two so I doubt they remember her too much." he said. "We never talk about her."

"I'm sorry, Vegeta." she couldn't help it. "But you know what? It's her own damn loss." she smiled a little. "You're an asshole and very, very rude to nice young ladies like me, but you're kind of fun at times, so to hell with her."

Vegeta chuckled a bit, but didn't say anything else, and Bulma hastily changed the topic of their conversation.

* * *

"Did you brush your teeth?" Vegeta asked as he helped Trunks button his pajama top.

"Yes!" both boys answered.

"Good." he said.

"Vegeta?" Tarble said as he laid down on his bed. "Are we going to live here from now on?"

Vegeta tensed at the question and sat on one of the beds, raking a hand through his hair.

"I don't know." he said. "We all have to go back to school. You know that."

The little boys looked at each other before Tarble looked down at his tiny hands.

"But... we can't go back to Frieza because you always get very hurt with him." he said softly.

"But it's not Frieza's fault." he said. The last thing he wanted was for his siblings to know what Frieza did to him.

"We heard Celipa and Bardock talk about how dangerous our house was and how it was a very unsafe 'en-buy-mint' for us." Trunks said, trying to sound serious. Vegeta smiled slightly at how cute he looked.

"The only thing you need to know is that I'll always keep you safe, no matter where we end up." he answered.

"But what about you?" Tarble asked. Vegeta sighed through his nose as he realised that he was probably thinking about what he had looked like when they had escaped.

"You don't need to worry about me." Vegeta said. "For now, we're all safe, and that's all you need to think about. Alright?"

Bulma heard their conversation from outside the door and her heart broke. She turned on her heel and made her way to the laboratories.

Her father was there, hunched over a desk filled with papers and books, scribbling on some notebook.

"Daddy?" she said softly.

The scientist jumped a little before turning around to face her.

"Oh, honey! Hello! It's a bit late. Is something wrong with Vegeta?" he said, concerned.

"No... well, sort of." she walked over to him and sat next to him on a small chair. "Daddy, have you and mommy given this situation any though at all?"

"What do you mean?" he said, putting his notes aside.

"Daddy, what will happen when we have to go back? Vegeta has never mentioned anything, and neither have any of you." she said. "It's an understatement that he can't go back to Frieza."

"It's also an understatement that he'll stay with us." Dr. Briefs answered. "What did you expect, sweetie? He has nowhere else to go."

"Yes, but... how?" she asked. "Frieza must already be looking for him everywhere."

"Honey, leave that to me. For now, you should go to sleep. I'll talk to Vegeta. I promise everything will be fine." the doctor said.

* * *

If the Briefs' hearts ached as they thought about Vegeta's life before, they certainly felt like exploding as they saw how he treated his siblings.

Vegeta was constantly telling them to eat, wash their teeth, bathe, go to sleep, thank for the food... He'd help Trunks with his bath and he'd help them get dressed. He would tell them nighttime stories, stay with them until they fell asleep, wake them up, take them down to get some breakfast... and so much more. Bulma and her parents could barely picture him doing the same while being in a horrible physical state. The girl remembered how he would often struggle to walk back in school and she wondered how he even picked Trunks up.

It was much easier for him now, though, because Mrs. Briefs loved little kids. Since Vegeta still slept more than normal, she would wake them up, give them breakfast and sometimes she'd bathe Trunks. She would coddle and kiss them, treating them like her own children. Vegeta was immensely grateful for that. He loved his siblings and did everything he could to keep them happy, but they also needed adult figures in their lives. It worried him, too, though, because he wasn't even mildly certain of what would happen in the future.

Days had passed since Bulma's conversation with her father.

One afternoon, they were sitting outside, enjoying the sun and talking. Trunks was sleeping on Vegeta's lap, leaning on his stomach, and Tarble was playing with some toys near the pool.

"...So, like, the guy was absolutely copying off of me and I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to rat him out but what the hell, right?"

Vegeta laughed before they heard the back door opening and closing. Dr. Briefs came outside, his hands in his lab coat's pockets and a cigarette in his mouth. He smiled down at them and sat on a chair.

"Hello, guys."

"Doctor." Vegeta said.

"Hey, daddy."

"Enjoying the sun, I see." he said, smiling at them. "How're you feeling, Vegeta?"

"Fine. I barely feel anything anymore." he said.

"That's great. You've done a great progress so far." he said. Then his expression turned serious, startling Vegeta and Bulma. "There's something we need to talk about sort of urgently."

"Okay." Vegeta said, his eyes quickly darting towards each of his siblings. Trunks was still sound asleep and Tarble was too far away to hear them.

"Have you thought about what will happen when vacations are over?"

Vegeta swallowed nervously. Dread began to grow in his stomach.

"Not really." he said, trying to sound nonchalant. "It's not like I have a lot of options."

Dr. Briefs frowned a little before smiling warmly. The man's smile always soothed Vegeta for some reason.

"I see you misunderstood me." the doctor said. "You will live with us, that's a fact. Me and Bunny have already talked about it and we both immensely agree."

"Thank you, but it's not that simple." Vegeta said, surprising both Bulma and the doctor. He looked down at the sleeping boy for a while before looking at Dr. Briefs. "I'm sure Frieza is already looking everywhere for me, pulling on all of his contacts to find me. Living with you won't keep him at bay."

"Vegeta, these three weeks I've been investigating a lot. I've also been speaking to my contacts everywhere. Frieza might be powerful but, dare I say it, so am I." the doctor said. "If we sued him for child abuse - "

"Sue him? That's preposterous." Vegeta growled. "Frieza practically owns the country. I assure you there's not a lawyer or judge who would dare cross him."

"Frieza has a lot of contacts but I assure you I can find the best lawyers to help our case. We will fight for your custody and then Frieza won't have a chance."

"No." Vegeta said, getting very angry. "He will kill all of you and torture me for days. You don't know Frieza."

"I do. I've worked with him. I've investigated him. I know things about him that you don't." the doctor said. "Things that would bring him down."

"What if it doesn't work?" Vegeta said, his voice shaking a little. He cleared his throat and unconsciously held Trunks tighter. "I can't risk it."

"So, what did you have in mind then?" Bulma asked, a little angry that Vegeta wasn't cooperating.

"I... I don't know, really." he said. "I was thinking that perhaps... as soon as I got healed I would go back to live with him and maybe, you'd keep my siblings. Frieza wouldn't care if they left and he wouldn't go after them."

"At what point did it even cross your mind that we'd let you go back to Frieza?" Bulma said, exasperated.

"Let me? It's not like you own me. I can do as I please." he answered agitatedly.

"Why would you want to go back to Frieza?" Bulma asked, softly.

"Because then you'd be safe and so would my siblings." he said in a low voice.

"Vegeta, it's the safest option. We would never stop fighting for you." the doctor said. "Here, you're safe and you have everything you need. If we gained custody of you, you'd also be safe back in West City. If we sued Frieza, we could bribe him, telling him that if he tried to fight it we'd go public on him. That would be a very bad thing for him."

Vegeta stared as Tarble began to yawn and rub his eyes.

"I'll have to think about it." he answered, before getting up and walking towards Tarble. He grabbed his hand and walked inside to put both the kids on their beds so that they'd take a nap.

* * *

Bulma watched sadly as Vegeta tossed and turned on his bed, moaning and yelling through clenched teeth. Sweat was covering his body and once in a while he would whisper a plea or an apology. The fear in his voice was heartbreaking. She could see the scars and healing injuries in the moonlight and she slowly shook her head, her eyes watering. She was holding a glass of water and two painkillers in her hands, knowing that he'd be thirsty and in pain when he woke up.

He finally did, jerking up with a gasp, his eyes shooting open and darting around in fear.

"Vegeta." she said softly.

The boy closed his eyes and swallowed as he tried to force the memory out of his head.

"Bulma." he answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you yelling in your sleep." she said as she walked over to his bed and sat down, earning a glare from him.

"And?"

"And I brought you some water." she said, handing him the glass. "And painkillers."

He slowly sat up and took the glass and the pills, nodding gratefully.

"Was it too bad?" she whispered.

"That's none of your fucking concern." he said. Bulma's eyebrows furrowed. She had learned to read him... whenever he was hostile and rude it meant the nightmares or memories had been awful.

"How can you even think about going back to him?" she asked, the words bursting from her mouth.

Vegeta sighed through his nose and looked out the window, trying to piece his mind together.

"It's not like I wanted to, Bulma." he said. "But right now I'm putting you and my siblings in a horrible danger and I - "

"You can't burden yourself with all of this." she said. "You're just a boy, Vegeta. You can't carry all of us on your shoulders. Let us take some of that weight off of you."

"You don't know anything." he snapped back. "You don't know what he's capable of. What he did to me that night... It was bad, but it was nothing compared to what he'll do if I deliberately escape and try to sue him. Frieza's tortures go beyond your worst nightmares. He will kill you and your parents without a second thought and he'll kill Trunks and Tarble as well. Or worse, he'll torture them, too. He has absolutely no limits. I can't risk igniting his insane anger just because I'm afraid of some pain."

"You're not afraid of some pain!" she said, her eyes watering. Gosh, she had become a wailing cunt ever since Vegeta had started to live with her. "You're not just some case of a father hitting his child because he misbehaved! He tortured you horribly, Vegeta! Almost every single day of your life! You don't deserve that! You don't deserve that life... don't settle for it." the last part was whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. "We can fight this together. He might be powerful and rich, but he's not invincible. I know it seems like it but we have to work together. You can't go back to live with him. Do you really think we will sit back and watch as you walk back to that monster?"

Vegeta hadn't taken his eyes off of the window. He knew that he didn't deserve it. He knew that it wouldn't just be walking into his house and going back to what it was before. No, it would be much worse. He couldn't imagine how, but he was sure Frieza could.

"You might not have another option." he said. Then he looked at her. "I know what it feels like to lose against someone so much more powerful than you."

"Where did your stubborn pride and gut go to?" she said, trying to sound less like a wimpy girl and more like the strong woman she thought she was. "You never go down without a fight. Then don't do it now, when it's most important."

"Who says I didn't fight before going down?" he growled. Before Bulma could answer, he sighed tiredly. "Look, if your father wants to sue Frieza for child abuse, I won't stand in his way. I'll go along with it if you so please but don't ask me to be optimistic about the outcome of it all."

Bulma swallowed and grabbed his hand.

"We will fight for you." she said. "We will bring that bastard down. You don't have to fight this alone anymore, Vegeta. You're not alone anymore and you'll never be alone again."

Vegeta looked into her eyes and all of his pain and frustration seemed to leave him for a few seconds. Something inside of him felt extremely relieved, and a voice in his head was screaming for him to take the offer. He was so tired of being alone, silenced, helpless... Maybe letting someone into his life wouldn't be that negative. He could finally have a life devoid of pain and fear. He would have a future. His siblings would have a future. Hope burst inside of his body with an intensity he hadn't felt in years. He felt so old, yet so full of life for the first time since Frieza had begun his attacks. He took a deep breath, and the air felt different. It didn't feel stale and constricting anymore. He felt like he had been living in a horrible, small cage and for the first time, someone had opened the door and light burst through it.

For the first time in his horrid life he had a choice. And he was going to take it.

Bulma saw his eyes lighten with something she had never seen before, and it made her feel as happy as she had ever been. She smiled and held his hand tighter. That moment was theirs forever. It was then that her guilt and regret disappeared: Vegeta was meant to be there, with her, and she was meant to be there, with him. She knew then that she would fight until her dying breath to see him smile genuinely, like a sixteen year old ought to do.

Suddenly, they leapt at each other and their mouths connected.

The kiss was like a golden trophy. They had denied and fought their feelings, situations had ripped them apart and brought them back together so much that their mouths within each other felt like fresh balm on a horrid injury.

Bulma felt her heart beat so hard in her chest, and then she knew there was no going back. Not because she had been trapped, but because she wanted with all her heart and might to be with him until the end.

* * *

 _There you have it, folks._

 _Happiness, at long last._


	17. Chapter 17

Guest: Goku didn't find out. After hours of Vegeta going missing, he called Bulma to get some help. Lucky for him, Buma was with Vegeta. I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear :)

On with the story.

* * *

After that first kiss, things were a little awkward, but nothing they couldn't get over. They were still the only ones they could hang out with in the house, so eventually the small awkwardness came to pass and things began to change. As the days went by, Bulma began to give him pecks on the cheek and on the lips, and even though Vegeta seemed annoyed and growled or rolled his eyes, he actually enjoyed them. She would also grab his hand at times or lay her head on his shoulder.

Vegeta would only kiss her at nights, when they were alone and after she calmed him down from him nightmares, or gave him encouraging speeches to go on because she would always be there for him. But Bulma knew that Vegeta felt for her the same way she felt for him. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he looked at her or spoke to her, in how he wouldn't move away when she leaned into him or grabbed his hand, and of course, in the way he kissed her. It wasn't a kiss leading to sex, it was a kiss to show her his feelings. Bulma had the beautiful feeling that it was the first time that Vegeta had ever kissed someone that way.

There were only two weeks until Christmas, and the Briefs' house began to lighten with joy and holiday spirit.

Vegeta wasn't crazy about Christmas. It reminded him too much of his parents and the times he had been happy and filled him with uncontrollable sorrow and nostalgia. And, well, Frieza always had "gifts" for him which included brand-new torture weapons or methods, night-long torture sessions or awfully heavy beatings.

He sighed as he watched his siblings help Mrs. Briefs decorate the Christmas tree. He was trying his hardest not to fall into those horrible memories.

"Hey, everyone!" Bulma's cheery voice said from the stairs. She had just woken up and was still in her pyjamas, going down to have some breakfast.

"Hey, sweetie!" Mrs. Briefs said. "Do you want to help us decorate the Christmas tree?"

"Maybe after breakfast." Bulma said as she walked over to the couch, where Vegeta was sitting with his head in his hand, looking extremely bored. She sat next to him and gave him a peck on the cheek, earning a slight groan. "Hey, you. How did you sleep?"

"Fine." he said emotionlessly.

"Me too, thanks for asking." she said. She giggled as he rolled his eyes. "Hey, do you want to go for a walk in the forest today? I'm up for some exercise and my dad said you're healthy enough for it."

"Sure." he said, although he sounded like he couldn't care less.

"That would be perfect!" Mrs. Briefs said as she placed a bow on a branch. "Then I'll take these two cuties to town and we'll do some shopping! I'll buy you some ice cream and sweets!"

Vegeta smiled slightly as his siblings jumped and squealed in excitement.

* * *

"Hey, wait up!" Bulma huffed.

Vegeta rolled his eyes and stopped, turning to look back at her. They had been walking for hours, uphill. She had been bouncy and exited at first, but now she was exhausted, sweating and panting with tiredness.

"Come on, Briefs." he said in a mocking tone. "I'm the one with the physical impairments and I'm not even breathing hard."

"Yeah, well, you obviously exercise different than me. You're focused on muscle-building while I've always - "

"Yeah, whatever you say." he said, smirking down at her.

They walked for a few more minutes before reaching a beautiful spot surrounded by trees, which was high enough to give them an incredible sight of the breath-taking landscape. The trees, flowers and grass seemed to go on forever, only stopping to give way to the enormous mansion with the pool and facilities. Vegeta took a deep breath and sat down against a tree, stunned by the beautiful sight. Bulma sat next to him and took out some sandwiches and water, handing him one and a bottle.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

"Hn."

"I'm really glad you get to spend Christmas with us." she said softly, smiling. "I don't assume it's a very exciting time of the year for you."

"No." he said. "Frieza doesn't celebrate Christmas."

"Really? Not even with his own family?"

"I am his family." Vegeta said darkly, a hint of sorrow in his voice.

Bulma put a hand on his leg and tried to smile encouragingly at him. Vegeta bit into the sandwich to force the lump out of his throat.

"Didn't you at least celebrate a little with your siblings?" she said, trying to cheer him up. Unfortunately, it only seemed to sadden him more. He looked away.

"I gave them gifts sometimes, but I never really had money. On Christmas nights Frieza would... torture me. That was his own celebration. He'd buy torture weapons and say those were his gifts for me, along with the beatings." he stayed silent for a minute while Bulma tried to remain strong. She grabbed his hand and he tried to draw strength from it. "I could never really spend time with them on Christmas."

"I'm so sorry." she muttered. "We'll make the best of this Christmas, Vegeta. I promise you that."

He smiled half-heartedly before she leaned in and they kissed.

* * *

 _"What's wrong, my dear nephew? You don't like my new gift?"_

 _Vegeta couldn't look up at him since his eyes were closed tightly in pain. He was on the floor, his hands tied behind his back and his feet tied together. Frieza's laughter got to a higher pitch, an insane one, and Vegeta tried to curl into a tight ball. One of his eyes opened to try to gouge his next attack, but he closed it immediately as he caught sight of the horrible 'gift'._

 _It was a long metal rod, wrapped in barb wire. It was dripping blood, splashing it all around when it slammed against him and the sharp pieces imbedded themselves into his flesh. There were parts of the rod without anything, though, so sometimes it just slammed against him, cracking his bones and creating horrible bruises._

 _Frieza lifted his arm and slammed the rod again, on his upper thigh. Vegeta screamed and sobbed as the barb wire got stuck in his flesh and Frieza pulled it back, creating horrid gashes on him._

 _"Please..." he said, writhing around to try to get away. The rope around his wrists and ankles had already chaffed and skinned them and moving was horribly painful due to the awful injuries Frieza had been inflicting on him for hours now, but he still tried._

 _"Oh, already pleading? That's early, considering we still have the whole Christmas night and this is only my first gift." Frieza said, and he slammed the rod against Vegeta's chest, making him scream again. "I'm sure you had just as much fun with your parents as you have with me. What do you think your mother is doing right now? Maybe celebrating with her friends, donating gifts to other kids that she cares about more than you. She left you to spend Christmas with me, after all."_

 _Vegeta sobbed and his face twisted with horrible, deep sadness that threatened to consume him whole. He had visited his mother the whole week, trying to convince her of spending Christmas with them. Only Christmas, because the family had to be together and the kids had nowhere to go... She had said that she already had plans for that night and 'maybe Frieza would be a little more merciful because it was Christmas.' Bullshit. If anything, the monster had become more brutal and insane. He cried out again as the horrid tool hit him on his shoulder, a crack resonating around the basement._

 _"God, please!" Vegeta screamed as Frieza continued with his brutal onslaught. The monster slammed the tool over and over on Vegeta's body. He kicked him as well, moving him around so that he could slam it on his back, on his stomach, his sides, his legs, arms... everywhere. Vegeta could only scream as blood splashed all around and pooled below him, until finally, a hit to the head drove him into unconsciousness._

Vegeta woke up with a gasp.

Bulma was there, as usual. He had fallen asleep watching TV with her, so she was already soothing him, caressing his head and face.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Yes." he answered, pulling away from her. He sat up on the couch and placed his elbows on his knees, sighing as he tried to keep his mind off of the nightmare.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. She always asked him, even though his answer was always a negative. This time was no different. He shook his head and got up, heading for the kitchen. Bulma followed him.

She stood at the door as he poured himself a glass of water. She hated the look on his face. Depression and despair were evident in his eyes, even if his face remained stoic.

"Hey, I spoke with Chichi today." she said, trying to distract him from the nightmare. Vegeta leaned on the counter and looked at her, arching an eyebrow. "Usually, around this time of the year Chichi and Eighteen come to visit, but Eighteen is in Europe with her parents so I told Chichi to invite Goku."

"Really." Vegeta said as if he could't care less.

"Yes! They're arriving tomorrow before lunch. I thought we could have a picnic or something." she said, grinning. "It will be so much fun!"

"Whatever." he said, crossing the kitchen and walking past her to sit again on the couch. Bulma followed him and sat next to him. They began watching a movie and soon, Vegeta dozed off again. He hadn't slept very well the night before.

* * *

"Goku! Chichi!" Bulma squealed as Goku and Chichi got out of Goku's car. Chichi also squealed, running to her friend. They hugged tightly, blabbering incoherently about how much they missed each other even though only a few weeks had passed.

Vegeta stood at the doorway, his arms crossed. He smiled slightly as Goku walked up to him. They hugged and patted each others' backs.

"How are you doing, man?" Goku asked, smiling widely.

"I'm alright." Vegeta said, shrugging. "What about you?"

"Great." Goku answered. He put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder and lowered his voice. "You gave us quite a scare that night."

Vegeta was about to answer, but the girls walked up to them and Bulma hugged Goku tightly.

"Oh, I missed you!" she said. Vegeta looked over at Chichi and they barely nodded at each other as a way of saying hi. After getting settled into their respective rooms (Mrs. Briefs wasn't a fan of youngsters sleeping together, no matter how long they had been dating), the four teenagers went out into the pool to enjoy the sun with a few snacks. Goku and Vegeta sat on a couple chair next to a table while Bulma and Chichi. Goku was telling Vegeta everything that he had been up to until that point and how everyone was asking about him. Maroon had texted Goku about a hundred times asking for Vegeta.

"I have to keep making stories up!" Goku laughed. "But I'm really glad you're okay."

"Yeah." Vegeta answered. They remained quiet for a while, watching as the girls seemed to gossip in a corner. Suddenly, Bulma turned to smile widely at them, and Chichi gasped in a very high-pitched voice.

"WHAT?" she screamed. Bulma shushed her and giggled while Chichi looked at them with wide eyes. Vegeta stiffened, his face very confused.

"What was that?" Goku asked as they gave their backs to them.

"Ugh." Vegeta groaned as he glared at Bulma. It figured that she'd tell the black-haired harpy of their pseudo-relationship. "Uh, well... Briefs and I sort of... kissed."

"WHAT?" Goku yelled, his eyes wide. He ignored the girls giggling in the distance. Vegeta glared at him, blushing. "When did this happen?"

"Well... it hasn't been just once."

"Oh, my God." Goku couldn't believe it. "I so called it! I knew you two would end up together!"

"No, you didn't. And we're not _together._ "

"Well, I'll bet my right arm that you don't kiss her the same way you kiss Maroon." Goku whispered, wiggling his eyebrows. "And yes I did! I knew your fights were nothing but show."

"Whatever." Vegeta said, rolling his eyebrows. "She's been there for me and that's it."

Before Goku could answer, Mrs. Briefs came out from the house, a phone in her hand.

"Chichi, sweety! Your mom is on the phone! She wants to know if you got here okay!" she said in her sing song voice. "Vegeta, honey, Tarble said he wanted to show you something."

"I'll be right back." he said as he walked into the house. Chichi also exited the pool, ruffling Goku's hair before walking inside.

Bulma got out of the pool, too, and sat next to Goku, still smiling after dropping the bomb on her friend.

"So, he told you, huh?"

"Well, he kind of had to after you told Chichi." Goku laughed. "I knew you'd end up together."

"We're not together, and no, you didn't."

Goku laughed harder and shook his head.

"I'm actually really glad he's here. That day I was about to call the cops." he said.

"About that..." Bulma said. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It seems I have a horrible habit of judging people without knowing the whole story. I understand so much now. Like, how you always stood up for Vegeta and stuff. I apologised to him for being such a bitch like a million times."

"You didn't know."

"I know but..." she sighed. "Sometimes I still wonder why nobody ever noticed or suspected anything."

"Well, it's not like he could tell. Or me, for that matter. But... some people did notice." Goku said softly, looking down at his hands. "Did he tell you about Mr. Zarbon?"

"He told me that it was Frieza who got him fired because he questioned him about Vegeta's injuries."

"Didn't he tell you anything else?"

"No." she said, her eyebrows furrowing. She noticed Goku's body shaking subtly and she worried. "What happened?"

"Frieza tortured him for that." Goku whispered. "But it wasn't just anything. I mean it wasn't just a beating or something. It was awful."

"Why?" Bulma asked, her voice shaking as she tried to prepare herself. Goku looked at her and debated on whether or not he should tell her. He knew it wasn't his story to tell, but he had been holding it inside for so damn long. He didn't know how Vegeta managed to do it.

"Vegeta... often asks me to help him out when his injuries are too bad and he can't heal them himself." he explained. "That day he - uhm... Frieza whipped him. Badly. Practically skinned him alive. The wounds were hideous but that wasn't even the worst part." his eyes watered and she swallowed thickly. "Frieza drove nails into his body."

"What?" Bulma said, her voice breaking.

"The man had buried nails into Vegeta's body. They were everywhere. On his back, his stomach, his chest... it was such a horrible sight. Vegeta skipped school the next day, obviously, but that bastard forced him to go the day after that and Vegeta couldn't move. He stayed in the bathroom for the entire day and towards the end of the day he asked me to help him. He was a wreck... you can't even begin to imagine. There was blood everywhere and I could tell he had thrown up a lot because one of the stalls was a mess." he closed his eyes tightly as tears threatened to roll down his cheeks. "He had brought some pliers and gauze and pleaded with me to take them out."

"And... did you?" Bulma whispered. She had lost the battle against the tears.

"Of course I did." he said. "But it was awful. Vegeta was in so much pain he ended up passing out. And you know what the worst part is? That isn't even the worst thing Frieza has done. The injuries I've had to heal... and the things he's told me... Oh, god, I wish there was more I could do."

Bulma rubbed Goku's arm and cleaned her tears as they heard the door opening and Chichi walked outside.

"He's with us now. And he'll be okay."

* * *

"We still haven't received any orders yet, sir." a cold, slimy voice said from the speaker phone.

"I know." Frieza said, a smile on his face and his hands clasped behind his back as he stared out the window of his enormous office. "I still haven't issued any yet."

"But you already know where he is."

"Yes, but I want to play carefully. I can't just barge into their home. It'd create a scandal and I don't want that."

"You could sue them. You have custody of the boy. They have him there illegally."

"Yes, but that would also create a scandal." he said. "Besides, it will be so sweet if Vegeta comes back to me all on his own."

"How can you be so sure that he will?"

"I know what they're planning. I'm one step ahead. And I'm ready to counterattack." the man said, his void dark and insane. He laughed heartily as he imagined Vegeta's despair upon having to return... He imagined all the tortures he would put him through once he came back. It would be worth the wait. He knew it.

* * *

 _I'm sorry if this chapter was a bit short and rushed._

 _Thank you all for reading!_


	18. Chapter 18

_Thank you for your amazing reviews._

 _I hope you enjoy the chapter_

* * *

There were only three days until Christmas and excitement was seeping into Vegeta as if he had caught a cold from the Briefs.

All they talked about was the Christmas dinner, the gifts, the movies they'd watch after, the games they'd play that night, the cards Bulma would receive from her relatives... It made the kids very excited and in turn, excited Vegeta as well. It had been a long time since he had seen them beam so bright for something.

Mrs. Briefs and Bulma had taken him to the closest town to buy them gifts, too. He'd never admit it, but he would never be more grateful than what he had been that day. He could finally give them something nice for Christmas. And be with them, healthy and uninjured.

Bulma and Vegeta sat together playing cards while they spoke.

"You're a cheater." she said as he won for the millionth time.

"You're a sore loser." he answered with a smile.

"Of course not. I'll beat you in this one."

"Vegeta, honey..." Mrs. Briefs said from the door, holding the phone. "It's for you."

Both teenagers tensed. Who would be calling him? Only one person came to mind and his whole body froze and tensed, his mouth numbing with fear.

"Who is it?" he asked after clearing his throat.

"She says her name is Raniya." the woman said, looking confused.

Bulma's expression went from fear to confusion. She looked at Vegeta and worried at his pale face. The boy got up and took the phone before leaving the room and heading to his own, locking the door behind him. Bulma followed him after a few minutes and tried to listen from the other side of the door. She knew Vegeta needed privacy but she was far too worried. What if it was a friend of Frieza's or something?

"Hello?" Vegeta said, his heart beating madly in his chest.

 _"Vegeta!"_ his mother's voice said through the speaker. _"Oh, my son. How are you? I've been so worried."_

"Worried?" Vegeta asked, anger creeping into his being.

 _"I-I... I heard that you went missing and I couldn't help but think that he had - he had..."_ she broke into a sobbing fit. _"I'm so glad to hear you."_ she said between sobs.

"How did you know I was here?"

 _"I... can't tell you."_

"Why the hell are you calling me? I don't need you anymore. We're fine." he said, his voce dark and angry.

 _"I wanted to hear your voice."_ she said weakly, sobbing. _"I wanted to know if you were fine."_

"As if you really cared. Is Frieza monitoring the call? Are you going to sell me to him again?" he growled, his voce getting louder.

 _"No, no."_ she said. _"The police came to my door asking if I had seen you. They said you had been missing for a long time. I thought Frieza had - "_ she sobbed louder. _"I just needed to know if you were alright."_

"I am." he said. "Good-bye."

 _"Wait, Vegeta!"_ she said before he could hang up. He waited for her to talk. _"I know you're upset. I know you hate me with all your heart. I know I abandoned you and hurt you and disappointed you... a-and you don't want to hear about me."_ she sobbed. _"But I really do love you, my son. I love you more than you can imagine. I'm so sorry I could never protect you."_

Vegeta felt tears coming to his eyes, his throat closing with grief. It would be better if she told him she hated him. At least he could stop caring, or just face the fact. Her telling him that she loved him only added salt to the wound. It was awful. He didn't want to say anything because he knew his voice would crack.

 _"Hello?"_ she said softly. _"My baby..."_

"Don't." he said, his voice cracking. "I-I can't. I can't. You say you can't live with us, then don't. Just stay away. I won't reach out to you and you won't reach out to me and..." he swallowed at the awful lump in his throat. "We'll leave it at that."

 _"How are they?"_ she asked before he could hang up.

"They're fine. They don't remember you much, thankfully, so let's keep it that way. Don't call me again and in return I will never ask any favour from you. Sounds good?" he growled. He heard her taking breath to speak again and he interrupted her. "You always complain about me asking you for money to buy food, or begging you to take us in or visit us. Well, no fucking more, alright? No more, mom. You wanted us to stay away because Frieza terrified you. We'll do it, so don't you worry now."

He hung up and growled, before a scream of rage forced its way out of his throat and he threw the phone against the wall. It shattered, and he knew the Briefs wouldn't be happy about it, but he didn't care. His eyes watered with the anger he was feeling. It gripped his chest and body and he closed his eyes tightly, his fists flying to his head and gripping his hair. A strained sob escaped his throat and he sat on the bed, trying to calm himself even as waves of angst flooded throughout him.

A quiet knock on his door made him growl angrily.

"What?" he snapped, his voice dark and hoarse.

"Can I come in?" Bulma asked softly.

"No." he growled. "Leave me alone."

"I just want to talk."

"Leave me alone, girl!" he yelled.

Bulma sighed and walked away, granting him some space to vent his emotions.

After about an hour, he walked downstairs to get some lunch, having smelled the delicious food. Only Bulma and his siblings were at the table. Dr. Briefs was in his lab and Mrs. Briefs was in the kitchen preparing the dessert. Bulma stared at him as he sat down and noticed his expression. He wasn't angry anymore. He wasn't mad or upset. He was sad and she was sure that only she could see it. His perfectly emotionless mask was in place, but she knew better.

He didn't say anything as he grabbed his spoon and began to drink the chicken soup.

"Mrs. Briefs said we shouldn't bother you because you were angry." Trunks said. "Why were you angry?"

Vegeta looked at Bulma, who also wanted to know.

"I received an unpleasant call." he said simply.

"Was it Frieza?" Tarble asked as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Vegeta tensed and almost choked on the soup.

"No, it wasn't Frieza. It was just... an old acquaintance."

"What's an _aquaitas_?" Trunks asked.

"It's just someone I used to know." he explained softly.

Trunks and Tarble continued talking and talking, but none of the teenagers listened to them, their minds drifting away. When Vegeta finally finished eating, he took the plate to the kitchen and went back up to his room, ignoring Mrs. Briefs's insistence on how delicious her dessert was.

As he sat on his bed, Bulma entered his room. He growled.

"Leave me alone."

"Who was it?" she asked very softly.

He looked down at his hands.

"My mother."

She crossed the room and sat next to him. She wanted to ask him what she had said, what had happened, why she had called... but she knew that Vegeta didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to stop thinking about her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. He slowly put his hand on her leg, his teeth clenching as he tried to remain strong. Bulma softly pecked him on the lips and caressed his face, smiling softly as the ghost of a smile appeared on Vegeta's face. She giggled and continued giving him pecks all over his face, pushing him backwards until he landed on his back on the bed and Bulma landed on top of him, still kissing him all over as they both laughed.

She rolled from over him and laid her head on his shoulder, looking up at him.

"You don't need her." she said.

"I know." he answered.

* * *

Bulma slowly woke up to something thrashing around next to her. She blinked and realised that she had fallen asleep on Vegeta's bed while she was consoling him. Now, he was tossing and turning, going through a nightmare. She sighed softly and put a hand on his forehead. His face was covered in sweat and he was moaning a little in the back of his throat.

She caressed his face... but instead of soothing him, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist painfully, his eyes shooting open and a sharp gasp ripping through his throat. His eyes darted wildly around before Bulma's whimper snapped him back into reality.

His wide eyes stared at her pale wrist and he released her immediately, sitting up and cleaning the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, rubbing her wrist.

He panted a bit before answering. "Yes."

"What were you dreaming about?"

"Frieza." he muttered. "What else?"

"I know but... what about him?"

"Oh, we were plucking daisies from a green field." he said sarcastically as he got up from the bed and went to wash his face in the bathroom. Bulma swallowed and got up as well, walking over to the bathroom as well. As he dried his face with a towel, she wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her forehead on the nape of his neck.

"Sometimes it helps to talk about it." she said softly.

"I don't want to." he answered roughly, but he didn't push her away. Instead, he put a hand on hers.

"Maybe you should. Maybe you should start letting go."

He took a deep breath.

"You don't want to hear it." he said in a whisper, his thumb subconsciously stroking her hand.

"I do." she answered. After a long slience, he spoke.

"He tied my hands to the surface of a table and was breaking them with a hammer." he said as he looked at the floor. Bulma gasped and her arms clutched him tighter. "It happened when I was 13. The day before he had tortured me really badly and then he forced me to got so school, so Kakkarot told me that I should get some rest in his house. I was exhausted and in so much pain that I accepted immediately and fell asleep as soon as we got to his house... But then I woke up at 11 a.m. the next day. Kakkarot and Radditz had already left for school and Celipa had let me sleep in. She meant well, but it made things much worse. Frieza said that I had escaped, and that I was challenging him and disobeying and whatnot... he said he'd hammer my hands once for every hour I had been missing, including the hours I had spent at school... I began crying and begging him after the first four or five hits, but of course he just kept going." He said the last part with hatred and disgust, as if he was truly ashamed of himself for having cried and begged. "He said I'd been missing for 30 hours... but then when he reached thirty he said he wasn't satisfied and kept going... he moved to my wrists and arms and then my face until I passed out." he said.

He jumped a little when he heard Bulma's sob.

"What a monster." she whispered.

Vegeta slowly turned around and wiped a falling tear from her eye.

"I told you. You didn't want to hear that."

She swallowed.

"It's hard. But I always want to. It helps you." she said. She smiled slightly. "There's something I want to know, though."

"What." he said, annoyed that she wanted to keep talking about it.

"How did Goku find out about everything?"

Vegeta sighed and sidestepped her, exiting the bathroom. She followed him and they sat on his bed.

"It was a while after my mother had left..."

 _Goku watched as Vegeta sat on a bench outside the school. It was a few minutes before classes began, and Vegeta was usually late, so it was odd to see him at school so early. But that was the only strange thing on him: as usual, he looked thoroughly worn out. He was extremely pale, with bags under his eyes, which were red-and-blue-rimmed and swollen, as if he had been hit very hard. In fact, bruises marred his entire face, and a bloodied gash stood on his temple. Goku wondered why he hadn't bothered covering it up._

 _The truth was that Goku and Vegeta hadn't spoken in a long time. They had been best friends before, but then all of a sudden, after Vegeta's father had passed away, the boy had simply withdrawn from every social contact. According to rumours, he had been getting into a lot of street fights, some people said he was even doing and dealing drugs and stuff. That really worried the tall boy. They were only eleven, for god's sakes!_

 _Goku had tried reaching out to him, but Vegeta was always aggressive and angry._

 _Vegeta noticed Goku looking at him and he growled, glaring at the taller boy. Goku, however, couldn't take it. He knew Vegeta was still hurting about losing his father and he knew he had to do something. He couldn't let Vegeta go on like that, getting into fights and whatnot. He got up and walked over to the boy._

 _"What the hell do you want?" Vegeta growled, his voice hoarse. Goku wondered if he was sick. There was a thick scarf wrapped around his neck._

 _"I just wanted to talk to you." Goku said. "You're injured."_

 _"No shit." he answered. "I thought I made it clear last time that I don't want to talk."_

 _"You missed football practice two days ago." Goku said. Vegeta looked away. He hadn't been able to play. He hadn't even been able to get up from the floor until midday. "Why are you doing this?" he added, his voice getting softer._

 _"Doing what?" Vegeta growled, glaring at his friend._

 _"Getting into gang fights... not doing homework, arriving late... what does your mother say about it?"_

 _Now, that was a touchy subject. He felt his eyes watering and a lump formed in his throat. As he beat him the night before, Frieza had said awful things about how his mother hated him. Being in tremendous amounts of pain made him unable to stand emotional abuse, and it was still a fresh wound on his heart. He growled at Goku and got up from the bench, showing him his middle finger.  
_

 _"Fuck you."_

 _Goku watched him go with worry in his features. Vegeta had always been bad-tempered and got angry easily, but lately he had been way too upset all the time. They were best friends, even if the circumstances had drawn them apart... and Goku was going to help him. He had to. It was in his nature. He had to protect his friend._

 _And first, he had to find out who he was fighting. And why._

 _He knew Vegeta wouldn't tell him, so that afternoon, Goku went home and took a cab to the Kold mansion._

 _He had told his parents that he'd be studying until late at Krillin's. When he got there, around 8 p.m., he hid behind some bushes at the entrance and waited._

 _And waited, and waited, and waited. But Vegeta never walked out._

 _Around 9:30, he saw Frieza's limo pulling into the driveway and he wondered if Vegeta waited until his uncle went to sleep to sneak out. Half an hour went by and Vegeta didn't walk outside. Goku began to think that maybe Vegeta escaped through the backdoor or something. The house was far too big and Goku could barely see anything from behind the bush he was hiding in. It was very cold, boring, he was falling asleep and it was really dark. He straightened up and rolled his eyes at his failed attempt of saving Vegeta. Obviously, his former friend had everything figured out so that nobody could see him..._

 _But as he began to walk away, he heard a sound. It was muffled, coming from inside the house. He furrowed his eyebrows and walked as close to the bars surrounding the area as he could._

 _It was... screaming. Someone was screaming. Vegeta was screaming! Goku gasped and put his hands on his mouth, horrified, as he heard his friend's screams and shouts. He sounded horribly terrified and in an awful lot of pain. And... Frieza's unmistakable voice was laughing. Hard._

 _Goku's eyes watered and he reeled backwards, his heart hammering in his chest._

 _Vegeta had never been in a gang fight. His injuries weren't because of stupid rebelliousness. His angry attitude, his edginess, his anxiety... It all made so much sense now. Frieza had been abusing him! And from the sound of his screams, it sounded pretty damn awful._

 _Goku was at a loss of what to do. He didn't know if he should've contacted the police, his parents, his friends... or maybe talk to Vegeta first._

 _Yes, that would be the best way to go. He would talk to Vegeta, and then they would decide together._

 _With a heavy heart, and tears running down his face, Goku ran back to his house._

 _The next day, Vegeta was sporting even more bruises and he looked even more exhausted. Goku wanted to go and hug him, console him and take him away from Frieza._

 _That afternoon, the palm-haired boy watched as Vegeta walked over to the bus. He was limping even more than he had been in the morning. His arms were crossed but Goku knew that it was more than a stance. He looked in so much pain... Goku's heart was heavy with guilt. He suddenly remembered how Vegeta's house was a few blocks away from the bus stop, and how it used to annoy the short boy so much... He wondered how horrible it would be for him to have to walk in that physical state towards his house. He trotted up to him before he could get on the bus._

 _"Hey, Vegeta!" he called._

 _Vegeta turned around and glared at him._

 _"What is it now?"_

 _"My mom will pick me up in about half an hour. Want a ride?" he said hastily._

 _"Your mom will flip out if she sees me like this." he growled. Vegeta wondered briefly why, after weeks of barely speaking to each other, Goku was trying to reach out to him again. Deep down, he was slightly relieved. It was getting really hard to keep losing people._

 _"We'll tell her you had an accident." Goku shrugged. "Why don't we wait for her on the bench?"_

 _Vegeta rolled his eyes and shrugged before walking with Goku towards the bench and sitting down. He couldn't suppress a small groan of pain. Goku swallowed._

 _"So, who did you fight?" he asked as if he didn't know the truth._

 _"That's none of your business."_

 _Goku's eyebrows furrowed._

 _"I just wanted to - "_

 _"Stop meddling in other people's business." Vegeta growled. He seemed to be getting very agitated. "We've been over this, Kakkarot."_

 _"I really think you need someone to talk to." Goku said solemnly. "I'm your friend. We've been friends since we were toddlers. Why don't you trust me anymore?"_

 _Vegeta glared into his friend's eyes for a while before looking away._

 _"I can't tell you." he said after a long silence._

 _"Yes, you can." Goku said softly. "You can trust me. You know that." He bit his lip when se saw Vegeta's eyes watering._

 _Vegeta struggled really hard against himself. Fear clawed at his heart as he remembered Frieza's warnings. Would Goku tell someone? But he really needed to let it out. He couldn't keep it in anymore. It was getting too damn hard... Besides, his mother leaving had been so damn painful and nobody knew. Except for Frieza, of course, but he couldn't show his feelings in front of him. Goku began to worry when he saw Vegeta's internal struggle on his face._

 _He decided to drop the bomb._

 _"You're not getting into gang fights, are you?" he whispered. Vegeta looked at him with a surprised expression on his face, before he glared at him, but the emotional gate was open. He knew that if he talked, his voice would break. He simply focused on retraining his tears._

 _"That's none of your - "_

 _"Vegeta, I went to your house last night." Goku said, his voice turning hard and his protective instincts kicked in. Vegeta saw the knowledge in Goku's eyes and his heart went into overdrive._

 _"What?" he said in a rushed whisper, as if his uncle would jump out from below the bench to start beating him again. His watering eyes looked towards his friend and he held himself tightly at Goku's expression. God, he knew. His secret had been let out._

 _Goku took a deep breath and told him everything. Vegeta closed his eyes tightly as he spoke, as if trying to block the truth._

 _"W-why does he do it? Since when?" the taller boy asked as he finished recounting the events of the night before._

 _"My mom... left. A bit over a month ago." Vegeta explained. He kept his eyes closed as he tried not to cry. "Since then, Frieza has been beating me everyday."_

 _"Jesus, Vegeta." Goku said, horrified. "All the days you've gotten here injured... it's been him! You have to tell someone!"_

 _"I can't." he growled. "You know how powerful Frieza is. If someone tried to do anything against him he would kill them without_ _anyone finding out. Besides he..."_

 _Goku's eyebrows furrowed as Vegeta's expression turned dark._

 _"He what?" he asked softly._

 _"...He not only beats me. When he gets really angry, he... tortures me. As punishment." Vegeta confessed. He closed his eyes. Saying it out loud was even worse. It made it even more terrifying and real, and made him feel even weaker and more pathetic. Goku gasped and Vegeta looked away, the lump in his throat getting bigger. "If he ever found out that I told someone..."_

 _"What about Trunks and Tarble? Are they okay?"_

 _Vegeta nodded._

 _"He never does anything to them. I usually just lock them up in their rooms or something."_

 _"Vegeta, there has to be something we can do about this. He can't do this to you."_

 _"Yes, he can." Vegeta growled. "There's nobody who can stop him."_

 _"Surely if we told someone - "_

 _"Kakkarot." Vegeta said, staring straight into Vegeta's eyes. "You have to promise me on your life that you won't tell anyone. Anyone! Alright?"_

 _"But -"_

 _"Not your parents, not Radditz, not even that harpy you've been hanging out with lately."_

 _"She's not a harpy." Goku said, before he shook his head to refocus his mind on the topic. "Vegeta, we can't let him do this to you."_

 _"Look, Frieza has custody of me and my siblings. My mom is the only one who could take us away from him but she abandoned us, alright? There's nothing we can do that Frieza can't undo with just a few words with his contacts. There's nobody I can turn to or talk to or whatever. So please, please. Don't tell anyone. It would just make things much worse."_

 _Goku sighed and nodded reluctantly._

 _"I'm glad you told me. Why don't you come to my house? I can help you out with your injuries... we can pick up_ _your siblings on the way and all."_

* * *

Later that night, Dr. Briefs knocked on Vegeta's door.

It was pretty late, but he just had to talk to the young boy. When he received no answer, he gently opened the door.

Vegeta was sitting on the window sill, looking out into the wild. He was shirtless, the piece of clothe tossed carelessly on the floor. The doctor could see Vegeta's body glistening. No doubt he had had another nightmare, the sweat being living proof of that. He sighed and clutched the small vial inside his pocket in excitement.

The boy turned his head to the man with a tired glare.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to disturb you." the doctor said. "But I couldn't wait. I have such great news for you."

Vegeta sighed and nodded, getting off of the window sill and walking over to the bathroom to wash his face. The doctor sighed as he caught sight of the horrible scars, the long vertical burn-mark standing on his spine and the old and new ones creating painful stories on his body. The boy washed his face and walked back into the bathroom, picking his shirt up on the way. The old man saw the horrible symbol on his chest before the grey t-shirt covered it.

He smiled as Vegeta sat on the bed with a questioning face.

"We've made it, son." he said, as he pulled the small vial out.

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

"The burn mark healer. It's complete."

Vegeta's eyes opened wide and he was stunned and frozen on his seat. He looked up at the doctor with wide eyes, and felt hope bubbling in his chest. A wide smile spread through his face and his heart beat maddeningly. He gripped the bed cover in absolute excitement and was rendered speechless.

The doctor smiled widely at his expression.

"Merry christmas, Vegeta."

* * *

 _This chapter was short, but it had happy moments for our dear Vegeta :)_

 _Kami knows he'll need them in the future. (Oops?)_

 _Thank you all for reading!_


	19. Chapter 19

Christmas night had finally arrived.

The Briefs usually held parties with lots of invitees, but given the circumstances, they decided to celebrate with only them. It was still fun, anyway.

Vegeta and Bulma spent the day together, their relationship growing even more. The burn mark healer was effective, and the symbol was already disappearing from his skin, which made Vegeta very happy and excited. Bulma had never seen him so chatty. His permanent scowl had loosened a lot and he had a smile on his face most of the time. He would also kiss her even more (when they were alone, but still, it was a huge step), and he would grab her hand or put a hand on her knee when they were sitting together.

Night finally arrived.

Letters and gifts had been arriving all day, from Bulma's relatives, Dr. Briefs' fellows who wanted to stay on his good side, companies aided by Capsule Corp., Mrs. Brief's friends, etc. Soon, the Christmas tree was swimming in gifts and letters that they wouldn't open until midnight.

Dinner was delicious, and it was also some sort of epiphany for Vegeta.

He had only been with the Briefs for a couple months, but he realised that they saw him and his siblings as family. The Briefs didn't want to adopt him just to save him from Frieza. They were really beginning to see him as a son. And without realising it, he was beginning to see them as his family, too. Subconsciously, Dr. and Mrs. Briefs had become his father and mother figures: something he hadn't had since he was a very young boy. Something that he had lost, and that life was giving back to him.

And Bulma... he had never felt for anyone the way he felt for Bulma.

Things were changing.

Unfortunately, nothing remained too happy for long.

The Briefs had showered Vegeta, Trunks and Tarble with gifts, and soon all the boxes and letters were opened.

But one letter remained under the tree. Dr. Briefs reached for it, confused. The paper was old and yellowed. It read "To: Vegeta. Merry Christmas."

"It doesn't say who it's from." the doctor said, handing it to the boy.

Vegeta frowned in confusion. He wondered briefly if his mother had sent it without her name so that he wouldn't ignore it.

The air heightened. It wasn't a good sign.

He slowly pulled the envelope open and peered inside. Various pieces of paper were stacked in it. His confusion only grew.

...And then he puled one out.

Bulma gasped as she stared at it. Vegeta immediately got up, every hair in his body standing on edge. He felt ice water running down his body and his stomach opened inside of him.

It was a photograph of Frieza's basement. Some sort of panoramic, showing the entirety of the awful place. Seeing it again after such a long time had a much harder effect on him than he could've ever anticipated. Fear grew inside his body at the memories that assaulted him from the image. The rope hanging from the ceiling, the torture weapons stacked on all the walls, the dry blood splashed everywhere... He put a hand on his mouth.

He flipped through them, disgust, fear and anxiety growing in him. His whole body shook.

There were pictures of his whips. The normal ones, the knotted ones, the ones who split at the tip, the ones with sharp things imbedded into them, etc. All bloodied, uncoiled, threatening.

There was a picture of a bloodied bat, bloodied canes, knives, hammers, ropes, belts... detailed photographs of Frieza's worst torture weapons, brining forth horrid memories in Vegeta's head. Without him realising it, tears welled in his eyes and his heart beat maddeningly. Panic was gripping him tightly, constricting his breath, as he stared at the bloodied walls, the torture weapons, the traces of his years of suffering. One of the last pictures was the electrocution device, stained with his blood.

And then, the last picture was the metallic charm, covered in dry blood. He wanted to throw up.

"Vegeta." Dr. Briefs said, walking closer to him.

Vegeta jumped and flinched away from the doctor, his wide eyes darting across the room and landing on Bulma, who was pale and shaking, and on Mrs. Briefs and his siblings who were very confused.

"I-I need some space." he said, before he bolted to his room.

Once inside, he locked the door and sat on his bed, flipping trough the pictures again. Tears ran down his face as fear consumed him whole.

The photographs meant one thing: Frieza was warning him that he'd get him back.

No, worse than that. Frieza knew where he was.

"Vegeta." the doctor said softly, knocking on the door. "Please, son. Open up."

Vegeta cleaned his tears and put the pictures back in the envelope.

"I said I needed space!" he said, his voice thick. Shudders ran nonstop down his body and he couldn't keep the tears at bay. His memories kept coming back full-force. Even miles away, his uncle could still play with his mind.

"Please, let me talk to you." the doctor insisted. Vegeta growled. They usually left him alone when he had an episode, it surprised him that the doctor was still insisting. "Vegeta."

The boy cleaned his tears again and got up from his bed, opening the door. Dr. Briefs sighed as he saw Vegeta's face. His scowl was on his face, but he could see the fear in his eyes. He walked inside and Vegeta closed the door behind him, locking it again. The doctor slowly made his way to the envelope and sat on the bed as he looked at the pictures. Vegeta remained giving his back to him, his fists clenched tightly as his body shook uncontrollably.

"This is awful." the doctor said. "But it's not the end of the world."

Vegeta's whole body tensed as rage began to invade him.

"You don't know anything." he growled very darkly.

"Frieza is just trying to mess with your head. You can't let him."

"He's sending a message." Vegeta said, his eyes watering again. He was on an emotional roller coaster. Fear and rage were fighting inside of him. "He knows where I am. He-he-he... he knows where I am." he whispered the last sentence and his arms crossed unconsciously as a defensive mechanism.

The doctor got up from the bed and walked over to Vegeta, throwing the pictures in the trashcan. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, who flinched, his instincts on edge.

"He can't harm you while you're here."

"No, but he can take me away from here." Vegeta answered.

"I told you." the doctor said as he slowly turned Vegeta around. He rubbed the boy's arms in an attempt to soothe him. "We have a lot of evidence against him. The images he just sent are even more proof! I have everything ready. I have the best lawyers, I've won the favor of the best judges... Just have a little hope."

Vegeta closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Frieza is not stupid. Far from it. If he sent those pictures it's because he probably knows that I..." he swallowed. "He knows that he can win the case and... take me back."

"He doesn't know that we'll sure him." the doctor said.

"Again, he isn't stupid. It's the only way you'd ever keep my custody. He's insane and diabolical but he's also a genius. He knows what you're planning. He-he knows he can win! He-he..."

"Vegeta, son." the doctor said. Vegeta was beginning to hyperventilate, his eyes wide and watering and his body shaking. "Please calm down."

Horrid images of the tortures Frieza would put him through once he returned invaded his mind. A strangled sob escaped his mouth as absolute panic and fear invaded his whole body. He didn't know what he'd do. He wanted to disappear, run away, die. Anything to stay away from that monster.

The doctor sighed and patted Vegeta's back.

"Vegeta. I will do everything within my grasp to keep you away from Frieza. If we have to sell Capsule Corporation and move to a cabin in the woods we will. You're not just Bulma's friend. You're part of our family and we don't leave anyone behind. Do you understand?"

Vegeta looked away. He wanted to believe the doctor's words. He really did. But...

"Frieza will do the same." Vegeta whispered. "He hates to lose. He... He... He'll torture me ten times worse than that time you saw me." he said, his voice shaking. He felt embarrassed. He didn't want to be seen like that: terrified and at the verge of tears... But he couldn't control himself. The photographs had really destroyed his head. He couldn't keep his emotions under control. He felt as if Frieza was there in the room.

"Vegeta, we will protect you."

Vegeta gripped his hair as his emotions exploded. It was overwhelming. It was horrible. It was killing him inside.

He sank to his knees as he lost complete control. He could only see the pictures, and remember the torture and Frieza's laughter. He didn't want to go back to that. It was killing him.

Dr. Briefs knelt next to him and passed an arm across his shoulders, rubbing his arm.

"You're okay. You're safe. You're safe." the doctor kept repeating it like a mantra as he slowly rocked back and forth. "You're okay."

Vegeta finally broke and began to sob. He felt like a little kid. He felt as if he were eleven years old again, hiding in his closet as he heard Frieza's footsteps up the stairs, down the hall, looking for him. And he knew how it ended: Frieza always found him.

About half an hour went by before Vegeta's sobs perished. His emotions began to die, leaving nothing at their wake. Numbness gripped him and he sat back against the wall, hugging his knees and looking away from the doctor. Dr. Briefs slowly let go of Vegeta and laid against the wall as well, looking at him worriedly. He had never seen someone change from desperation to stoic so suddenly. It worried him.

"He always finds me." Vegeta said quietly. "He always finds what he's looking for. He always makes me beg for forgiveness. Sometimes he even makes me thank him."

His tone was flat. His voice sounded emotionless and dead.

"He can't take you away from us. You're not alone anymore. You have us now."

But Vegeta seemed to be alone. He seemed to ignore the doctors words as he continued talking.

"He can do as he pleases. He can kill or scare anyone who tries to help me. He can convince everyone around me that I'm a liar, a rebellious boy who gets into gang fights. Why would I get into a street fight with someone who can break my whole face? But they don't care. They just... believe him. He has that power. He can make me look bad. Everyone believes him." he chattered.

"Vegeta..."

"I've tried to leave several times." he said, his eyebrows furrowing. "The first time was when I was eleven. I just blew up at school because a teacher was accusing me of being irresponsible. She said I'd never get far in life. I exploded and insulted her. They of course called Frieza. I knew he'd be furious. So I asked Kakkarot to pick my siblings up from school, packed my bags and left. I simply took the bus to the next town, and the next... and next. I didn't even last a day though. Around midday the next day the police found me. They told me what a horrible boy I was to put my guardian through such a situation. The said how he was desperately looking for me, how irresponsible I was. How I was only looking for attention. And then they took me back..."

Dr. Briefs could tell that Vegeta was lost in his memories, but he didn't interrupt him. He knew the boy had to let it out.

Vegeta continued talking.

 _The policemen kept talking, telling him what a horrible little boy he was, but he didn't listen to them. Fear was clouding his head._

 _He knew Frieza would torture him. Badly._

 _The men had handcuffed him, believing that he'd try to escape again._

 _As they rounded the corner to the mansion, Vegeta broke. His eyes watered in terrible fear._

 _"Please. You have to believe me. He will torture me."_

 _One of the men burst out laughing, the other one turning to look at him. He seemed taken aback by his expression._

 _"Oh, waterworks, huh?" the laughing one said. "You manipulative little brat."_

 _"Please, I didn't escape just because." he said. "He beats me, and tortures me. My injuries are not from fights, it's him!"_

 _"Would you shut up?" the police who hadn't laughed said. "Nobody believes you. We're here anyway. Get out."_

 _Vegeta tried to remain strong. Those men knew nothing and they'd only mock him if he started crying. He swallowed the waves of fear and glared at the policeman as he opened the door and pulled him outside. The two men escorted him up to the door and one of them began to unlock the manacles as the other one rang the bell. Vegeta closed his eyes as footsteps neared the door._

 _His uncle opened and an indescribable glare settled on Vegeta, piercing his heart and his very soul. His knees shook and he crossed his arms as soon as the policeman released them._

 _"Mr. Frieza, sir. Good day."_

 _"Good day, cops." Frieza said, his face turning soft and thankful. "I'm really grateful. You can't begin to imagine. I was head over heels trying to find him!"_

 _"We know, sir." one of the cops said. "Just give us a call next time he misbehaves or runs away. Boys like him need discipline."_

 _"Oh, believe me I know." Frieza said, glaring at Vegeta again. The boy saw Frieza's fists tightening and he flinched, his foot subconsciously stepping backwards and his face turning pale._

 _"Oh no, you don't." the cop said, tightening his grip on Vegeta's shoulder. "We know he's a piece of work, Mr. Frieza. He was just blabbering some nonsense about you beating him and torturing him and whatnot."_

 _Vegeta shuddered as Frieza's glare intensified. Oh, he was going to get it now. Frieza would beat him to death. He lowered his head and his whole body shook, his throat closing up in horrible dread._

 _"Oh?" his uncle growled. "Well, then. I_ _guess I will have to discipline him. Hard."_

 _Vegeta didn't dare to look up at Frieza. The cops agreed with him and said goodbye before heading back to their car. Frieza grabbed Vegeta's upper arm with impressive strength, pulling him inside and slamming the door closed. Vegeta turned to look at him with wide, terrified eyes, his face pale and his whole body shaking. Frieza glared down at him darkly, his fists clenched and his jaw set tightly. Before Vegeta could react, an iron fist slammed into his face, sending him to the floor._

 _He sat up and rubbed his temple, which was now bleeding._

 _"I'm sorry." he said. "I'll never escape again."_

 _"I know you won't." his uncle growled. His foot shot forward and struck Vegeta on his chest, sending him skidding backwards. "I'll make sure the idea never crosses your mind again."_

 _Vegeta tried to apologise and beg, but it all fell on deaf ears. Soon, Frieza was beating him. Hard. Fists and kicks rained down onto his body, hitting him everywhere. They were incredibly strong and it scared him to realise that Frieza wasn't controlling his strength like he normally did. The monster slammed him against the walls and the floor, breaking his face against the tables, slamming chairs, lamps and tables against his weakened body. Vegeta could only scream._

 _It didn't take long before he passed out. It happened as Frieza slammed the back of his head against the edge of a table._

 _He woke up on the floor of the basement, with his arms tied behind his back. His forearms were placed horizontally over each other, the rope tying them together to allow minimal movement. It made Vegeta realise that one of his arms was broken and the other one was dislocated. He groaned and tried to move, but his whole body was aching. Badly. He gasped and swallowed, his eyelids prying open. One of his eyes was already swollen shut and the other one was on the way. He looked up and saw Frieza sitting next to the table in the corner. He was smoking and apparently admiring a handgun. Vegeta's stomach grew cold._

 _"You know, Vegeta. You escaping isn't only incredibly ungrateful, but also very bad for my image. Thankfully I could calm the media telling them what a horrible boy you are. But, still, it creates suspicions. And to top it all off, you go around blabbering about how I'm torturing you and abusing you... How many times do I have to tell you that it's our little secret?"_

 _Vegeta closed his eyes dizzily._

 _"Why can't you just let me go?" he whispered, writhing around to try to get into a less painful position, but his shoulders screamed in discomfort from the position his arms were held in and the bruises, cuts and broken bones were putting him through hell. Frieza had really outdone himself. He had never been so vicious._

 _"Let you go? Oh, no, my little pet." he slowly got up, switching the gun from hand to hand and making Vegeta tense visibly. "You're a very valuable asset. As long as I have custody of you, Ouji Enterprises is mine. Your father gave it to me on his will but still... You running around without my supervision can create unpleasant scenarios. God forbid you run away and end up trying to rise against me. Besides, losing you would amount to terrible social and economical implications. I would have to fake a whole campaign to pretend I'm finding you and that would take a lot of time and money. And... I just love to spend time with you."_

 _As he spoke, Frieza walked closer to Vegeta, until he was standing directly on top of him, looking down at his terrified, bruised face and shaking body. He lifted the gun and pointed it at Vegeta, who let out a terrified gasp and tried to move away. Frieza halted his effort by placing a foot on the side of his face, forcing it to the side. He applied pressure, crushing Vegeta's skull and the boy screamed. The pressure was unbearable and he felt as if his head would explode. His body writhed around but he couldn't move an inch. Tears welled in his eyes and a horrid painful pressure settled behind his eyes and forehead._

 _The pressure relented for a bit, but not enough to allow him movement. He swallowed and whimpered softly as his head pounded. But then his heart pounded even harder as Frieza cocked the gun._

 _"Wait, no." he begged. He didn't know if Frieza was going to kill him or not, he just didn't want to be shot like a pig in a pen. "Wait, Frieza."_

 _But the monster paid him no mind. He shot at his right leg, the bullet going through his thigh, digging into his muscle and reaching the bone. Vegeta screamed at the top of his lungs and writhed, but Frieza wasn't done. Another bullet shot into his left lower leg, splintering the bone. The boy screamed in a very high-pitched voice as tears escaped his closed eyes. Another bullet fired into his left shoulder and Vegeta began to cry. The pain was unbearable. His legs and shoulder were burning horribly and he felt like throwing up. Frieza laughed, the sound scratching and piercing Vegeta's mind, mixing with the sound of the gun being cocked again._

 _"No." Vegeta said. He didn't want to beg, but there was nothing else he could do. "Please."_

 _Frieza didn't even bother to answer. He was furious. He shot again, the bullet going through his other shoulder. And then on his other thigh, on his knees, his clavicle... Vegeta could do nothing but scream and writhe. The pain was too much. He cried desperately and gagged at the smell of his own blood which he could feel pooling below him._

 _"You're so lucky my handgun is small and not very potent. Any other gun would've probably killed you with that shot at your clavicle. Well... guess you'll just have to live with that." Frieza laughed. He fired one more time at his foot, earning another screech and loud sobs, before he removed his foot from Vegeta's face._

 _The boy sobbed for a minute before unconsciousness claimed him._

 _He woke up to find himself facedown, his arms tied together below him and Frieza sitting on the small of his back, making breathing very difficult. He tried to move, but the wounds screamed in pain and he yelled a few times, whimpering and sobbing._

 _"Welcome back, Vegeta." Frieza said. "I was getting bored. I was going to bring some cold water to wake you up but then I had a better idea." he laughed. Then Vegeta felt a horrible, burning pain against his shoulder blade and he remembered the cigarette. He whimpered and bit his lip to avoid crying out, but the monster twisted and pushed the cigarette butt against his skin, burning him. He writhed below Frieza, biting through his lip until blood came out to stop himself from screaming. "Does that hurt? I would suppose it does... but soon it will be a lot worse."_

 _Something cold was placed against his back, contrasting sharply with the cigarette. He flinched as he realised that it was a knife. His eyes widened before he felt another sort of burning pain as the knife dug into his back. Frieza dug far into his flesh, before moving the knife downwards and creating a long, bloodied line all along his back. Vegeta writhed and screamed desperately at the pain on his back. The monster laughed before pulling the knife out and sinking it once more into his flesh and pulling it down. Sweat and tears ran down Vegeta's face at the horrible pain and his back arched, his body spasming as he sobbed and shrieked. Frieza continued carving lines into his back for a long while, as Vegeta's screams ripped through his throat, tears cascaded down his face and blood ran down his body and pooled on the floor._

 _When Frieza was satisfied with his work, he threw the knife to the floor, next to Vegeta's face, and the boy flinched backwards, more tears running down his face as he stared at the bloodied metal._

 _"Now, to the part that I was telling you about." the monster spoke. "I wanted to splash you with some freezing water to wake you up but then I thought... What if the water wasn't freezing cold... but scalding hot?"_

 _Vegeta closed his eyes and tried to fruitlessly get out of his bonds, but the rope was too tightly wrapped around his arms and he was in too much pain._

 _Frieza had brought an enormous metal bin filled to the brim with water. Boiling water. It had cooled a bit, but it was still absurdly hot. The monster took a small cup and sank it inside the water before turning to the boy on the floor and slowly pouring the scalding water on his injured back. The steaming liquid sipped into his fresh wounds, causing him nauseating agony. He screamed and sobbed, his voice echoing off the walls. He could feel the hot water burning his skin, seeping into the open, raw wounds with every cupful that Frieza filled and dumped on him._

 _After a long time of cupfuls of boiling water falling onto his body, Frieza finally got bored. He got up, grabbed the edge of the bin and toppled it over, the remaining water landing on the boy, whose screams went even higher._

 _Writhing like a worm, Vegeta managed to turn onto his side and curled into a ball, stars and sports dancing on his vision. Tortured sobs and whimpers ripped free from his throat as he begged for unconsciousness._

 _"Is there anything you'd like to say, my little boy? An apology perhaps?"_

 _Rage consumed Vegeta, burning him on the inside even harder than the scalding water. He growled inhumanly, seeing red._

 _"Yes, there is." he said between gasps, his voice cracked and hoarse but full of hatred. "Fuck you, Frieza. FUCK. YOU!"_

Vegeta stayed silent for a minute, which Dr. Briefs was thankful for. He didn't want to continue hearing that. Then the boy spoke again. He hadn't moved an inch from the floor, his position still intact, his eyes lost, his mind wandering to such awful places.

"It went on for hours. Maybe even the whole day and night, I can't tell. Then he took me to the hospital and I stayed there for a few weeks." he said. "I didn't understand. The police had seen me, I was healthy when they found me. Well... healthy enough not be in the hospital. Frieza announced publicly that thugs had attacked me and they had found me in that state and I had to go to the hospital... I thought that maybe the policemen would speak up, saying that the story wasn't true... But nobody did and Frieza just... won."

"My boy..." the doctor said, his voice soft and shaking.

"Frieza always wins." Vegeta whispered. "He can manipulate everyone into thinking whatever he wants them to think, and if he can't, then he can just force them to do his bidding. It's absurd."

Dr. Briefs took a deep breath.

"We've already sent the lawsuit." he said softly. Vegeta's head snapped to the side, his eyes wide as his head came back to reality. "I want to be honest with you. I called your mother. She was extremely worried because someone told her that you had disappeared... She is not willing to be a witness, but she said that if we win the case, she will give her custody up."

"Shocker." Vegeta growled.

"Vegeta... have you ever thought that Frieza might've threatened her? She seemed really grateful about the whole situation."

Vegeta simply shrugged. It actually had crossed his mind, but he never gave it any thought, because just thinking about her leaving was extremely painful.

"Whatever."

"Frieza mustn't have received a notification yet. They told us they would have to check the whole case before accusing him of anything, since he's a public figure and all."

"Alright." he sighed, losing interest. He simply wanted to be alone.

"I'm positive that we will win the case. We have too much evidence." he said.

Vegeta nodded, looking away.

"Can I be alone now?" he said in a low voice.

Dr. Briefs nodded and patted Vegeta's shoulder before getting up and leaving the room.

Once he was alone, Vegeta went over to the bed and curled into a ball under the covers.

* * *

 _A few days later._

Frieza stared as Zarbon and Dodoria beat up a man. He had already given them all the information they needed, but Frieza liked to see them beg. He missed Vegeta dearly, and now that he couldn't blow off some steam on him, he did it with other people. That particular man had some information on Kold Enterprises competition, so Frieza's men had kidnapped him and had squeezed the info out of him.

Frieza was just sitting in the background, staring, a cigarette in his mouth.

"I've already told you everything! Please!" the man shouted.

Frieza laughed and got up from his seat, walking over to the man. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"We've been here for about two hours, and you already spilled your beans and cried like a little boy. My young nephew can take this for a whole night before he breaks."

"You-you do this to him?" the man said, panting. Frieza shrugged.

"His screams are delicious, and his father was my rival so it's sort of a payback."

"He's fifteen!" the man said, his eyes wide and his voice shaking in horror.

"Sixteen." Frieza corrected. "And he's suffered a lot worse than you without begging. I think I'll have to kill you now."

He pulled out a gun from his waist... but then his phone rang. He rolled his eyes and pulled it out.

 _"Mr. Frieza. It's John Bells."_

"Mr. Bells." he said.

 _"I'm calling on urgent matters. Are you home?"_

"No." Frieza answered. They were in a small cabin in the woods that Frieza used to get information from his enemies. "Why?"

 _"A report arrived today at the firm. I'm not supposed to be telling you this but... You've been sued."_

"Shocker. On what grounds?" Frieza said, bored. He always got sued.

 _"Child abuse."_

"Really?" Frieza asked, smiling widely. He had been expecting it for a while now.

 _"They said they would notify you in a few days but I thought you might've wanted to know first, so you can prepare yourself. They seem to have really good arguments against you."_

"They always do, Bells." Frieza shrugged. He turned around and, without hesitation, shot the man in the head. Zarbon and Dodoria didn't even flinch. "And I always win. Thank you for letting me know in advance. You'll be rewarded."

 _"Thank you, Mr. Frieza."_

Frieza smiled and hung up. How lovely it was to have contacts everywhere, sucking up to him.

...

 _Alright._

 _I hope you enjoyed it._

 _Please review :)_


	20. Chapter 20

Thank you for your reviews! I don't own anything.

* * *

Dr. Briefs sighed for the millionth time. He looked a hundred years older as he stared at the computer screen, his wrinkled face exhausted and horrified at the same time.

He had sent numerous e-mails to Frieza and his legal representatives, and for the two weeks that had passed since the Christmas incident, he had received no answers. The last e-mail he had written contained a very angry tone, saying that he was planning on using everything in his power to keep Vegeta safe. It said that, if Frieza didn't back out, he'd go public on the lawsuit and would tell every TV News channel and every newspaper how he had abused and tortured his nephew for years. He'd even show the horrible photographs that Frieza had sent them, so that everyone could see what a horrible monster he was. If he backed out, though, and let the Briefs keep Vegeta's custody, everything would remain a secret and everyone would be happy.

Frieza had finally answered.

Dr. Briefs had received an urgent e-mail with two pictures attached. It read "Go ahead, doctor."

One was a horrible picture of a much younger Vegeta, hanging from the ceiling of what he now recognised, from the previous images, to be Frieza's basement. The young body was covered head to toe in horrid injuries: cuts, bruises, gashes, etc., and he seemed to be unconscious.

Below, it said, "I can do this to anyone."

The second picture was an image of Bulma and Mrs. Briefs hugging and smiling widely, that Frieza had undoubtedly taken from some magazine that had published an article about him and his family.

He didn't need to read twice to understand the threat, but he still kept reading over and over again, looking at the photographs on the screen as fear filled his body.

He jumped as someone knocked on his door. He hastily closed the tab and cleared his throat.

"Come in." he said.

His wife walked into his personal office carrying a lemonade and a letter in her hands.

"Honey, you've been here all afternoon. A letter arrived."

He sighed and smiled up at her before grabbing the letter nervously.

He opened it and read it.

"It says the trial will be in two weeks." Dr. Briefs said as Bunny sat next to him on a chair. "We need to tell Vegeta."

"Why do you look so worried?" his wife asked. "Did Frieza answer your emails?"

He looked at his wife and sighed. "He simply said that he won't back out." he lied.

"Well... we've still got a lot of proof, and your lawyer is one of the best lawyers in the world. You told me yourself that your contact told you that Frieza's lawyer isn't even a very good one." she said. "Why are you so worried, honey?"

"It's just..." he swallowed thickly as he thought of Bulma. Frieza getting his hands on her would kill him. "I worry sometimes that Vegeta is right and Frieza has a few tricks up his sleeve. He seems awfully calm about the whole situation. I mean, getting sued for child abuse is huge, especially for a public figure like him."

Bunny placed a hand on his knee and smiled softly.

"You'll see everything will turn out okay. It always does." she said.

The doctor smiled back at her and put his hand on hers, trying to draw strength and confidence from his wife.

* * *

Vegeta had calmed down a lot in the two weeks that had passed. The first couple of days he hadn't been able to leave his room as anger and despair destroyed his emotions and his mind. The third day, however, Trunks came knocking at his door, asking him if he wanted to play with him. Vegeta couldn't refuse the cute little face of his little brother, so he accepted, and they went outside with Tarble to play.

Bulma shyly joined them a few hours later, and when the kids had fallen asleep, the two stayed together in the park, the sun climbing down and the wind blowing gently. Bulma didn't try to encourage him or tell him to be brave this time. She simply sat there with him, staring at the horizon. After a long moment, his arm snaked across her shoulders and he pulled her close. They stayed hugging each other until the wind blew colder and it grew dark. Then, they walked inside the house and went to his room, where Bulma began to talk about different things that kept his mind away from the pictures, making him laugh and argue with her, until they finally kissed.

They kissed romantically for a long time. Vegeta needed Bulma's strength. He needed Bulma's spirit. He needed her next to him.

Bulma couldn't deny it now. She had completely and absolutely fallen for Vegeta.

Now, two weeks later, she sighed happily as they watched a movie, huddled together against each other with his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

Her father walked in then.

"Hey, guys." he said.

They sat straight. Vegeta saw the man's cold expression and he swallowed nervously, noticing the letter in his hand.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

Dr. Briefs sat next to them and Bulma paused the movie, feeling nervous, too.

"The citation for the trial arrived. It will be in two weeks." he said, getting straight to the point. Vegeta paled and tensed. Oh, no. That was too close. "Everything is ready, so you don't have to worry, my boy. We have our lawyer, our proof and our papers set."

"Has... Frieza tried to contact you?" Vegeta asked nervously, trying to sound strong.

"No." the doctor lied. "My contacts tell me that he hasn't done anything out of the ordinary."

"Except for Christmas..." Vegeta said, frowning.

"Yes. We'll be sure to mention that in the trial."

Vegeta closed his eyes. For some reason, it felt as if those two weeks would be the last he'd have at the Briefs'. He felt Bulma's hand rubbing his leg and he sighed as he grabbed it, smiling softly at her.

"We'll return to the city in a week, just to have everything ready." he said. He smiled warmly at Vegeta and patted his knee. "You'll be fine, my boy."

* * *

Vegeta asked Bulma to leave him alone that night. He sat just outside the house, on the floor, staring at the sky as thoughts raced through his head.

He knew the doctor had been nervous, and that only meant bad news. He knew he had lied when he had said that Frieza hadn't contacted him, and Vegeta could only imagine what sort of threats the evil man had sent to the doctor. He wouldn't be surprised or even upset if they decided to back off and let Frieza have him back. He closed his eyes and sighed at that last thought.

There was still the possibility that Frieza would win. Frieza never lost. Ever. He swallowed thickly and tried to enjoy the whole feeling. The wind on his skin, the grass under his body, the smell of the house... His body devoid of pain, his gut not opening in fear and dread of what Frieza would do at night. The knowledge that he'd wake up calmly, without injuries, fully capable of walking down the stairs to get a full, delicious breakfast.

And having a family...

"Honey." someone said behind him. He opened his eyes and turned his head, looking at Mrs. Briefs over his shoulder.

"Mrs. Briefs." he said.

"Why are you out here all alone? Aren't you cold?"

"No." he answered.

She sighed and walked over to him, sitting on the ground and startling him. She looked up at the sky, too, before looking at him and smiling warmly.

"Are you nervous about the trial?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft and not so high-pitched. "It's okay if you're a little scared. We all are."

"You shouldn't be." he said. "You'll be fine."

"I know we will win the case... But, well, I can't help but feel little nervous. You are like a son to us, Vegeta. You know that." He nodded shortly, trying to look calm, but Mrs. Briefs saw the fear in his eyes. She saw the fear of trusting someone again and getting betrayed. "Even if the case goes wrong, we won't stop trying. I know it's hard for you to let people into your life, but you are already a part of ours and we will not let him take you away from us. We won't."

"I think... that if Frieza wins, there's not much else you can do. Fighting back against Frieza always results in worse things." he said.

Mrs. Briefs slowly reached out to him and rubbed his back. She didn't say anything else. She simply began to, slowly, pull him closer, until he was leaning against her and she was hugging him, rubbing his arms and shoulders as she held him. Vegeta hated being embraced. He hated the idea of Mrs. Briefs thinking that he needed some kind of love support like a small child and he absolutely hated physical contact. He was about to pull away from her... But a small voice inside his head stopped him.

It was actually extremely soothing. He could feel his awful feelings ebbing away.

So he stayed there as Mrs. Briefs hugged him, tried to piece him back together... tried to be somewhat of a mother figure that he had lost when he was just a little boy.

* * *

The week went by extremely fast for Vegeta's and the Briefs' liking.

The car ride back home was silent and full of tension. Bulma tried to talk to Vegeta to get his mind off of things, but she couldn't. He was way too distracted. The sole thought of seeing Frieza again, even if it was in a room full of people, killed him inside.

Once they got to Capsule Corp, Vegeta could practically feel eyes on him. He felt as if the whole world was watching his every move and reporting back to Frieza. He settled in a room and barely got out. He didn't want to go anywhere for fear of someone recognising him or of bumping into Frieza or his comrades. Being back in the city filled him with anxiety and dread.

His nightmares were increasingly brutal. He would dream about Frieza's punishments when he had tried to escape, or Frieza's punishments when he said he had tried to escape even if he hadn't.

He would wake up screaming most nights, and Bulma would rush in to calm him down, but he would always be way too angry or in shock.

The following week rolled around. Vegeta tried to enjoy every moment of it, as if it were his last few days of freedom.

One night, a horrible nightmare attacked him. He woke up screaming and covered in sweat, his body shooting upwards into a sitting position. Bulma came rushing in then, and she sat down next to him and held him tightly, rubbing his back and caressing his hair, shushing him as he panted and his body shook.

"It's alright. It was just a nightmare."

"No." he said, his voice thick. "If he wins it's just what's coming for me."

"He won't."

"You don't know that." he growled, getting up from the bed, his fists clenching and unclenching in frustration.

"I know that my parents won't stop fighting for your safety."

"Yeah, well, sometimes you can fight and fight and never achieve a thing." he answered rudely.

"Yeah, but - "

"Just... don't. I know what you're going to say. I know you all want me to believe that everything will be okay and that I'll be safe and Frieza will go to jail and whatnot. But the truth of the matter is that your father is worried, you're worried, and I'm head over heels with this whole lawsuit idea... So fucking stop! Frieza has a huge chance of winning the case and you know it!" he yelled the last part, frustrated.

Bulma sighed and nodded.

"I'm not saying it can't happen. I'm just saying that if it did, my parents would do everything to get you back. Or get you to safety. You know they will."

"Bulma - "

"No. Vegeta, stop. I know you're scared, but trust me on this one. We will never abandon you." she said solemnly. "Ever. I don't care what Frieza has to say."

Vegeta didn't answer. He kept giving his back to her. He knew how easy it was to say something like that when you weren't facing a horrible threat. Frieza could very well threaten the Briefs with Bulma's wellbeing, or even threaten Bulma with her own wellbeing and then her words wouldn't be so passionate and emotional. He closed his eyes when he felt her standing up and walking up to him.

"Vegeta... I..." she took a deep breath and grabbed his hand. "I love you. I know it's a silly feeling for you, and I know you think I'm just a stupid girl saying nonsense but - "

She was interrupted as Vegeta turned around and leaned down to kiss her.

The next few days, Bulma would sneak out of her room and into Vegeta's room to be with him. She had found out that his nightmares either got less violent or disappeared when she slept next to him, and it was just much easier for her to wake him up when she felt him thrashing, instead of getting woken up by his screams. Vegeta acted like he couldn't care less, but in reality he liked to spend the night cuddling with Bulma. Her presence brought peace into his life and having her close when he was most vulnerable was really soothing.

They would talk until late into the night, laughing and arguing and trying to ignore the storm that was approaching. They would kiss, passionately and gently, and stop just before anything else happened. Vegeta wanted to respect Bulma more than anything. She was the first girl that he wanted to wait for. It baffled him.

Then, one of them or both would fall asleep in each other's arms, happy and calm. If Vegeta had a nightmare, Bulma would gently wake him up, caressing him and whispering that he was safe.

Unfortunately, the week flew by.

Finally, the dreaded day arrived.

Dr. Briefs tried to act all cheerful and calm, but Vegeta could see that he was nervous.

That day, he tried to enjoy everything. He took a long bath, enjoying the hot water. He took his time eating the delicious breakfast. He walked around the house, thinking, trying to remember every detail: how full of light and color it was. How it evoked warm and soothing feelings in him, in a big contrast with his previous house. How his siblings were so happy there.

Finally, around midday, they decided to leave.

They drove to the court in silence, Vegeta nervously writhing in his seat. He didn't want to see Frieza. He really didn't. And he didn't want to risk returning to him. The sole thought of seeing that smile again was making his stomach jump and twist, and he couldn't keep his hands from shaking, no matter how much Bulma grabbed them and rubbed his back or pecked him on the face.

They finally got to the court and slowly climbed down the car. The trial was sort of a secret, so there were no reporters or media around. There was Frieza's limousine, though. Vegeta wanted to run when he saw it.

As soon as he closed the door of the Briefs' car, the monster slowly climbed down, too. A man in a suit followed him, looking around, but Vegeta didn't pay much attention to him.

His worst nightmare was standing a few feet away from him. Smiling at him. Vegeta's fear was almost palpable, his face pale, his whole body shaking and cold sweat breaking throughout his body and face. He felt such an urge to run and hide.

Dr. Briefs had told him that during the duration of the trial, it was forbidden for Frieza to talk to him, or be too close to him, so at least that was something. But the monster still had evilness on his face, his features contorting with sadistic glee as he stared at his charge after such a long time of absence. He licked his lips and winked at Vegeta, before following his lawyer into the court.

Vegeta really, really wanted to get into the car and never come out.

* * *

Welp, suspense suspense.

I know this chapter was a bit rushed, but I think you all deserve some action, lol.

So here it goes. What will happen in the trial? And why the hell is Frieza so calm?


	21. Chapter 21

"We will begin this trial session now." the judge's voice boomed thought the room.

Vegeta, Dr. Briefs and their lawyer, Mr. Sawyer, sat on the bench to the left, while Frieza and his lawyer sat to the right. Mrs. Briefs and Bulma were sitting at the back, as onlookers. Vegeta was trying his hardest to stare at anywhere but at Frieza. Their eyes had crossed once and the monster's smirk had given him chills. They had decided to leave the kids at home, since they were oblivious to the whole situation and the whole dispute was about - upon Frieza's request - Vegeta's custody only. It was a relief, honestly.

"First, the victim's lawyer, Mr. Sawyer, will show all the evidence on child abuse they could gather. The accuser, Dr. Briefs, will be allowed to talk in explanation of the evidence if he wishes to. The accused's lawyer, Mr. Lowell, will attempt to defend the accused as the evidence is being shown." he didn't look at anyone in the eye. He simply looked through the papers that described the case. It was an odd behaviour for a judge. Vegeta felt uneasy. It almost looked like the judge was uncomfortable... anxious. "There will be a small pause in which the jury," he gestured to the group of twelve people sitting behind a large table, with their respective computers to type down what went down in the meeting, "will analyse the evidence. When we return, the victim, Vegeta Ouji, and the accused, Mr. Frieza Kold, will have the chance to talk about the situation from their point of view.

"Then, the jury will give me their decision and I'll communicate mine. Does anyone have any objection?"

Nobody said anything.

The trial began.

There was a video beam projecting towards a big screen on the right side of the room. Mr. Sawyer, their lawyer, plugged in his computer. The horrible picture of the basement appeared. Vegeta shuddered as he heard Frieza's low chuckle in the background. The lawyer spoke as he slowly showed every single picture that the man had sent them on Christmas. Vegeta's eyes darted towards the judge, who looked extremely disturbed. He was pale, his eyes and mouth opened wide and his frown creasing. He turned towards the jury, who were also looking disturbed, pity, horror and disgust laced on their faces.

The torture weapons were the hardest to watch, but as bad as it was, the evidence soon turned worse.

"I'd like to show now a few pictures that the doctor gave me. These were from the day that Vegeta left Mr. Kold's house." the lawyer explained.

A picture of himself appeared on the screen. Vegeta's throat closed up as he stared at it. He was lying on the hospital bed inside the ambulance van. He looked dead. Blood covered every inch of his skin. The horrible, gaping injuries stood swollen, red and painful on his skin, along with the burn marks, the raised flesh, the horrible bruises... Everything. His face looked disfigured, swollen, broken. Tear tracks shone on it. The Kold symbol stood proudly over his chest.

His skin, on the few inches that weren't covered in horrible marks or blood, was completely white. In contrast, his face looked calm despite the swelling.

"We can see here the various injuries that the boy sustained. He had to escape from his home and run in this physical state. We can only thank God that he found the Briefs before he bled dry." Mr. Sawyer continued. He passed to the next picture.

This time, the view was from his backside. Once again, completely covered in blood and bruises. The cane and whip marks criss-crossed even more there, concentrating all over his back, especially on the small of his back and the back of his knees. From that angle, it was easier to see that his legs were broken, the back of his head covered in thick blood that matted his hair and ran down his neck.

"We can see the further damage. It covers the entirety of his body."

Vegeta cringed as he heard Bulma's and Mrs. Brief's sobs. And Frieza's low chuckles. Why was he laughing?!

The jury and the judge constantly muttered, shocked and disgusted at the show.

"I would like to point out," Dr. Briefs said, "that there are injuries that can't be seen in the pictures. Broken bones, skull fractures, and severe internal hemorrhage due to horrible damage to his internal organs."

The next few images were simply zooming into various injuries for a while. Vegeta wanted to hide. It was horrible to remember the injuries. He recalled how each and every one of them felt on his body.

They got to the pictures of the electrocution marks on his skin.

"Jesus Christ." the judge said in a low voice.

"These aren't normal burn marks. The previous ones were made with fire. This ones, as the doctor can confirm, were made with an electrocution device. The victim, Vegeta, was submitted to extreme electrocutions for hours." then, finally, he showed the Kold symbol. Up close it was hideous. Vegeta shuddered and closed his eyes. "And, lastly, this is what Frieza used to brand his victim. Third degree burn mark."

"Oh, God!" the judge said, horrified, covering his mouth with a shaking hand.

"I'm sure the judge and the jury will agree with me if I say that this is the worst case of child abuse any of us have ever seen." The lawyer said. "Now, I'd like to ask mrs. Bulma to please approach the bench."

Bulma shakily got up, her eyes avoiding Frieza at all costs, before she sat on the small chair next to the judge.

"Mrs. Bulma, you've been Vegeta's classmate for how long?"

"Uh, years. Since we were small kids."

"And what can you tell me about Vegeta, regarding the child abuse?"

"Well... Vegeta and I became friends very recently, but I remember he always arrived very injured to class. Like, bruises and cuts and stuff. Sometimes it looked really bad... but he always said he had been in gang fights and most people, if not all, believed him." her eyes watered. "Now I know that it was F-Frieza all along." her blue eyes darted towards Frieza, who was smiling evilly. It startled her. Dread filled her body. Why did he look so happy when all evidence was against him?

"And what happened the day that he escaped Frieza's house?"

"I was... packing for a trip when I found him in the basement. He was..." a choked sob escaped her throat. "Well, as you saw in the pictures."

"And what did he say?"

"He... he couldn't talk."

"Due to the extensive internal damage, I suppose."

Bulma nodded. "I guess."

"Thank you, Bulma, that would be all."

Bulma walked back to her seat, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

Mr. Sawyer questioned Dr. and Mrs. Briefs as well. The doctor provided gruesome details about Vegeta's injuries, which made everyone cringe. He retold the story of the day Vegeta had received the letters, and he even mentioned Vegeta's constant nightmares... to which Frieza snorted and chuckled. He retold how difficult it had been to cure Vegeta's body after the brutal assault, and how the boy had sustained severe psychological damage after long years of extreme abuse. Mrs. Briefs said how weak he had been after that day, and how his scars were a constant reminder of what he had gone through. She also mentioned how he had protected two little kids while in that horrible situation.

"The day after we saved him, he woke up in panic and locked himself in the bathroom, where he changed his bandages and disinfected most of his wounds by himself. This shows how he has had to treat his wounds by himself in the past." The doctor finished.

The judge looked over at Frieza and his lawyer for a second before clearing his throat.

"Well, if Mr. Lowell ad Mr. Frieza don't have anything to say about the evidence shown in this court, I'd like to call for a short pause. Please exit the room calmly. You are expected to return to the room in an hour."

The Briefs, Vegeta and Mr. Sawyer sat on a few chairs outside the courtroom.

"Well, I find it extremely odd that Frieza didn't defend himself, to be honest." the lawyer said, his arms crossed and his expression confused.

"Is it possible that there's nothing they can do? The evidence is pretty conclusive. Maybe they just don't have anything to say." Dr. Briefs said.

"It is possible... but, in all honesty, doctor, Frieza looked extremely calm for a man facing years in prison and public shaming." The lawyer answered. Then he caught sight of Vegeta's defeated expression. "But... well, our evidence shows everything. There is absolutely nothing they can say to keep your custody, Vegeta. I think that Frieza has a way of avoiding jail and that's why he's so calm."

Vegeta nodded and sighed. Bulma tried to change the subject, but everyone soon fell silent.

After about 15 minutes, Frieza's lawyer approached them. They all glared daggers at him. He didn't seem to care.

"I'd like a word with Vegeta in private, please."

"Absolutely not." Dr. Briefs said.

"I think it will greatly behoove him." the lawyer answered, looking straight at Vegeta with knowing eyes. Vegeta gulped.

"Whatever you have to say to him, you can say it in front of his lawyer." Mr. Sawyer said, his eyes accusing.

"It's alright." Vegeta said. "I'll talk to him."

"Vegeta..."

"I'll be fine." he growled, before getting up and following Frieza's lawyer down the hall.

They sat on a couple of chairs far from the family and Frieza.

The man sighed deeply.

"Frieza requested that I speak to you because he can't do it himself, due to the rules and all."

"And what does Frieza want now?" Vegeta growled, trying to hide his dread.

"Alright," the man sighed tiredly, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "First, I want to say that I'm truly sorry." He looked at Vegeta, his eyes going from stern and tough to tired and vulnerable. "I never wanted to defend Frieza. He's a bastard. I saw the evidence when I was preparing the case and I almost wanted to kill myself. I truly did. I would've never wanted to defend a man capable of such things against a boy... But he forced me."

"He forced you." Vegeta repeated, angrily.

"I have a younger sister. She lives a few towns away with my parents and my little nephew. Frieza knows this. He threatened to kill them. He said he'd... he would do to my nephew what he did to you." his voice shook, his eyes seemed to water before he looked away. Vegeta closed his eyes. God, no. "I couldn't refuse, of course. As much as I wanted to... I mean, wouldn't you have done the same?" Vegeta didn't answer. It was pretty obvious. He would've done everything to protect his siblings. "So I accepted but I'm only here for show. As you can see, I don't even have to defend Frieza."

"Why?" Vegeta breathed, feeling cold fear creeping up his spine. Now he knew what cards Frieza was playing.

"Frieza did the same to the jury and the judge. He knows each and every one of them. He knows their weaknesses and exploits them. You know how he is..."

"God." Vegeta exhaled, the situation dawning on him. He screwed his eyes shut.

"I'm so sorry... The whole thing is fixed. The judge has two little kids and a pregnant wife, and - "

"Just shut up." Vegeta said, opening his eyes. His whole body was trembling. Mr. Lowell looked at him with pity on his features.

"Vegeta, I'm really sorry." he whispered. He wanted to do something. He wanted to help the young boy in front of him. He didn't want him to go through that again... Nobody deserved such a horrible life.

"Why are you telling me this?" Vegeta asked.

"Frieza got bored with this. He said that... the judge will ask you to tell everything from your point of view. You have to say that Frieza is innocent and you made it all up."

"But the evidence - "

"It doesn't matter." the lawyer said softly. "It's fixed. If you say that, the trial will be over and we'll be able to leave. If you go on with it you'll only upset Frieza because he thinks he's losing time in here. He told me... to tell you... that if you cooperate, he'll keep your custody but will leave your siblings' custody to the Briefs and he'll promise to never see them again." he said. "If you don't, he'll fix another trial to keep the kids' custody and will see to it that Dr. Briefs regrets trying to take you away from him."

"I won't." his voice shook. "I won't deny it. I'll tell the truth. Dr. Briefs also has a lot of power - "

"Dr. Briefs has a lot of money and influence but he doesn't bribe and blackmail people. That's what Frieza has over him." he sighed and got up, looking down at the terrified boy. "Vegeta, he will win the case. One way or another. It's up to you how much he takes."

The man got up and opened his mouth to say something else, but he knew that nothing could fix the mess. He simply walked away and Vegeta covered his face with his hands, trying to be strong even as his whole soul and body fell apart.

About fifteen minutes later, Vegeta dejectedly walked back to the Briefs. Bulma saw his depressed eyes, his defeated expression and stance. She got up and walked to him, grabbing his hands.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing." he muttered.

"Vegeta." she said. "What did he say?"

Dr. Briefs slowly walked towards them. "Is everything alright?"

Vegeta sighed dejectedly.

"I might as well tell you. You're as helpless as me." he said. "Frieza fixed the whole trial. Everyone in there has been blackmailed by him. Their families and what they hold dear have been threatened so... no matter how much evidence or arguments we have, Frieza will win."

Bulma gasped, her eyes watering. But what shocked her the most was Vegeta's ability to show absolutely no emotions about the whole thing. It was as if he didn't believe it yet.

"Bullshit!" she said, a little too loud. The lawyer, startled and knowing Frieza's antics, left Mrs. Briefs (who was still crying into a handkerchief) to walk towards them.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Frieza apparently blackmailed everyone in there so that he'll win the case." Dr. Briefs answered. "We have to counterattack. Offer them money, safety for their families... anything!"

"It's too damn late!" Vegeta growled, emotion finally seeping through his mask. "He won, alright? He always wins. That's just who he is. If I don't... cooperate... he'll hurt Tarble and Truks as well, and the three of you. So, no. Just stop it. We lost."

"How can you say that?" Bulma exasperated. "You can't go back to that monster!"

"Well, I don't have another choice!" he shouted. Loud. Laughter was heard a few rooms away and he closed his eyes, trying to suppress a shudder.

"Vegeta, you will not testify against the truth." Dr. Briefs said, his eyes showing anger.

"I won't testify against Frieza and taunt him even more." Vegeta said. The doctor opened his mouth to talk, but Vegeta interrupted him. "Listen to me. I will be the one to receive Frieza's punishment for escaping so I think it should be my choice whether I want it to be as bad as it is right now, or way, way worse. I think I'll choose the former."

The man stuttered before growling.

"I'll wire money into their account. I'll call Capsule Corporation right now and tell them to arrange trips for the judge's family, so that they'll be safe." Dr. Briefs said hastily. "I'll keep them safe, and you'll be safe, too. You just wait. I'll be right back."

He ran, taking his phone out of his pocket to make a few calls. Vegeta sighed and rubbed his face. Bulma hugged him tightly, burying her face in his neck.

"He won't win, Vegeta!" she sobbed. "He won't!"

Vegeta hugged her back and smelled her hair, closing his eyes. They held each other tightly.

Their lawyer watched them for a few seconds before bolting behind doctor Briefs.

He caught up with the old man, who was cursing and red in the face.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?" he screamed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T ACCESS MY ACCOUNT?"

"What's going on?" the lawyer asked, surprised at the usually calm man's reaction.

"They froze all of my financial accounts! I can't move money around!"

"What? Why?"

"They said I'm under suspicion of drug dealing! ME! Drug dealing! How did it even cross their minds?"

The lawyer closed his eyes as he heard someone stuttering nervously on the other side of the phone.

"It only takes one person saying that they suspect you're in the business to freeze up your accounts until you're proven innocent. It won't take long to prove it... but it will take longer than," he looked at his watch, "the five minutes we have left until we return and Vegeta says that Frieza is innocent."

"I can promise them the money and safety now and pay them when my accounts are free."

"I think it'd take Frieza less than a day to fulfil his promises." the lawyer said. "So... I'm not sure how willing they'll be to accept your offer."

"Fuck!" Doctor Briefs shouted, shoving his phone against a wall. He swallowed and immediately went to pick it back up. It was still working, so he dialled another number. "Good thing I have lots of contacts."

"Dr. Briefs, we have very few minutes..."

"Hello?" the doctor said, before walking away.

* * *

Vegeta, defeated, entered the room, slowly. He glared at Frieza as the man smiled at him, no longer caring about anything. The judge stared at him with pity, as well as the people in the jury. He looked at Frieza again, who winked at him.

He exploded. He hadn't felt rage like that in a long time.

"Fuck you, Frieza!" he shouted from across the room at the monster.

Everyone was stunned. Silence filled the room as everyone gaped at him, but he didn't care. He was seeing red.

Finally, after a few minutes of awkward silence, the judge cleared his throat.

"Please, take your seats. The session begins now."

Vegeta sat down, anger filling his whole body.

"Where's the doctor?" he growled as his lawyer sat next to him.

"He... he'll be here soon." he simply said. Vegeta growled.

"Will Vegeta Ouji please approach the bench to give his statement?" the judge said.

Vegeta, robotically, got up and walked up to the chair, plopping down and crossing his arms as he glared daggers through the floor.

"Could you please tell us everything from your point of view?" the judge said, softly.

Vegeta growled.

"Oh, what's the fucking point." he said. "Frieza is innocent. He never abused me. There, you got what you wanted you useless bastard!" he spat, glaring at Frieza. Nobody could believe his reaction. It was so unusual for an abuse victim to be so aggressive against their abuser... They were usually so shy and fearsome.

"Mr. Frieza - "

"As my dearest nephew just said, what's the point? He said I'm innocent." Frieza said, smiling from ear to ear with a sadistic glint in his eyes.

"Yes, well..." the jury said, sighing. "Will the jury please give me a verdict?"

As they spoke amongst each other and sent Vegeta looks of apology and pity, Mrs. Briefs got a call. She snuck her phone out and walked outside, answering. It was her husband.

 _"Bunny, dear..."_

"Honey! Where are you? They're about to give the verdict and Vegeta just said Frieza is innocent!" she sobbed.

 _"Bunny, I tried to move some money around and they traced my calls. Frieza accused me of drug dealing so I'm... under arrest right now. They'll release me in a few hours but - "_

"They'll give him Vegeta's custody!" she said, her voice choked and cracking.

" _I'm so sorry."_ the man said. _"We'll figure something out, I swear."_ a sob escaped him before he hung up.

Mrs. Briefs wailed, covering her mouth with her hands and sobbing strongly. She heard the judge's hammer and immediately walked back, still sobbing and crying uncontrollably. Vegeta looked up at her with sadness, the judge with pity, and Frieza simply laughed. Bulma began to cry as well, knowing they were doomed. Vegeta was doomed.

"Frieza Kold is declared innocent. Vegeta Ouji's custody remains with him."

The judge's hammer felt like crashing against tanks. Vegeta closed his eyes.

* * *

There you go.

Oh my god I know you all hoped for Frieza to get arrested... Sorry!

It isn't Vegeta's happy ending yet.

Be patient. :)

Please read and review :)


	22. Chapter 22

Bulma wailed uncontrollably, her screams turning into desperate sobs as she clung to Vegeta. The boy, in turn, hugged her back, tightly. His eyes watered but he wasn't crying. He wasn't talking. He wasn't doing much except holding Bulma close to him. His body was shaking, but it was almost imperceptible.

"No! Noooo!" She wailed.

Vegeta's eyes opened slowly and he saw Frieza leaning against his limo, smiling sadistically as he smoked. He closed his eyes again, tightly. Oh, God, how he wanted it to be a nightmare.

"Bulma." he said softly.

"Noo! You can't go back to him! Please, no!"

"Bulma." he whispered, hugging her even tighter.

"Vegeta." someone said behind them. Vegeta looked up at the lawyer with a murderous glare. The man swallowed nervously and stepped back a little. "Mr. Kold says that he wants to leave now."

"Yeah, well, he can go fuck himself." Vegeta said in a low voice before sighing. "Bulma..."

He pushed her away, softly, trying to pry her arms from around his neck.

"No, Vegeta." she sobbed.

"I have to go." he said, his heart aching as he stared into Bulma's face, covered in tears, and fear and pain.

"No." she sobbed, trying to hug him again. Vegeta stepped back, his pain increasing.

"Yes." he swallowed thickly and looked over at Frieza, who looked impatient. He looked back at Bulma and cleaned her tears. "I'll be fine." he softly pulled her face closed and kissed her cheek. "I love you." he whispered.

Then he let go of her and turned away, walking up to Frieza. He didn't even look at the man. He opened the door with a growl and got inside, scooting over as far as he could get so that he could be far away from the monster. He took a deep, sharp breath as Frieza got inside and slammed the door shut.

"Let's go home." he said, his voice dripping with glee.

The car ride was silent at first, with Vegeta nervously picking on the fabric of his pants. Then Frieza decided to talk.

"What did you think would happen?" he asked in a soft voice, sending chills up Vegeta's spine. "Did you think they would arrest me, Vegeta? Did you really think you could win?" Vegeta remained silent, looking out the window. "Answer me."

"No."

"Then why did you try to sue me?"

"It wasn't my idea."

"It wasn't your idea to escape, either?" the monster said, his voice laced with mockery.

Vegeta's jaw shook minutely before he looked down at his hands, trying to control the trembling of his body.

"You were going to kill me that night." he whispered, his voice cracking at the last word. He turned his head again, unable to look at Frieza as the man chuckled softly.

"After I'm through with you, you'll wish I had killed you that night."

Vegeta closed his eyes, flinching involuntarily.

* * *

A week went by.

Bulma couldn't do anything but cry. She couldn't stop thinking about Vegeta, and what Frieza would be doing to him at the moment. The fact that he didn't answer the phone, his own or at home, was even more unnerving. There was little her parents could do to cheer her up, especially since they were extremely grief-stricken as well. Goku visited Bulma, trying to console her, but it was no use. She was broken.

Goku had even tried to visit Vegeta, but the mansion seemed empty all the time.

And they had all the reasons to worry about their friend.

 _'How can I still be alive?'_ the thought kept crossing his mind over and over. It seemed to be the only thing in his head nowadays, along with the horrid pain. All-consuming. Devastating. _'Why am I still alive? Just let him kill me, please.'_

Frieza had tortured Vegeta from the moment they had entered the house. He had beaten him. Savagely. All of his rage exploded. He had devastated the boy's body, making him beg after only an hour and not letting him fall into unconsciousness.

Then, he had tied him to the ceiling, but the rope had been shortened. He couldn't touch the floor with his feet and was left hanging, the rope destroying his wrists and causing horrible burning pain all along his arms. The monster had proceeded to use all sorts of torture weapons on his body. He had whipped him, cut him, burnt him, stabbed him and hit him for long hours, and all Vegeta could do was scream. Frieza hadn't been so brutal with him since the first time he had escaped, and even then, the monster had stopped after a few hours.

This time, Frieza didn't untie him for the entire week.

Vegeta remained hanging from the ceiling. Frieza would come into the basement every morning and every night to torture him for hours on end. He was extremely savage, unmerciful and violent, laughing in hysterics as Vegeta screamed his throat raw and his body writhed in uncontrollable agony. His whips and canes left behind horrible welts, gashes, and open wounds, spewing so much blood that soon, Vegeta's body was covered in crimson and the basement floor was, too. In fact, his blood was everywhere. On him, throughout the basement, on Frieza... The man would also revisit old memories: he'd impale nails into his body, carve bloody lines into his flesh, hit him with hammers, burn him with a blowtorch... everything that had once traumatised Vegeta deeply. And he'd also get creative and come up with new ways of making the young boy scream and cry for mercy. And, every night, he would pull the electrocution device out and use it on Vegeta until the boy passed out or started convulsing so much that Frieza worried he'd kill him. Throughout it all, Frieza would also torture him mentally, abusing him verbally as he said how useless he was, how pathetic, how he would never be anything else but a little brat writhing at Frieza's feet. He'd mention his father, his mother, his siblings... It all destroyed Vegeta's spirit like never before.

Throughout the whole week, Frieza had only allowed him to drink water three times, and only after Vegeta had begged and cried for hours. One time, the water had been boiling hot. Still, he wasn't given any food, or any treatment to his wounds. Frieza would sometimes roughly wipe down his body with an old towel, just to see the damage he had inflicted better, or splash him with alcohol, which was terribly painful but prevented some of the infections... he hoped.

Still, his body was burning constantly, but was also extremely cold at times, which made Vegeta - when he was awake enough to worry, which was becoming less and less frequent - fear that he had a horrid infection or sickness. He had lost his voice on the second day, from screaming, dehydration and vomiting constantly. Now he couldn't even bring himself to swallow. His face was unrecognisable, his eyes swollen shut from his broken nose, his jaw broken with his lips parted, trying to breathe... which was becoming more difficult each day, with the damage his organs were receiving from the electrocution and the constant beatings. His ribs were protruding, broken, fissured, all deformed and puncturing his organs and skin, and his torso was blanketed with everything but healthy skin, as well as his legs and arms... And the monster just kept on beating him.

Finally, five days later, Frieza decided that the punishment was over.

He untied the boy, who fell to the ground with a thud. Vegeta groaned, unable to open his horribly swollen eyes. He gasped a few times, but he couldn't breathe either. He felt something heavy on his back and whimpered, his dry, chapped and bloodied lips trembling against each other.

Frieza sat on the small of his back to hold him down, grabbing his upper arms. Vegeta's arms were horribly dislocated at the shoulder after such a prolonged time in that position. Without warning, he pushed the limbs back into place with a crack. The boy gasped and moaned, but couldn't do much else.

"Get up." the monster said as he stood up.

Vegeta didn't register his words. He was dying. He was in a horrible amount of intense agony, shooting throughout his body relentlessly. He was also severely dehydrated, his throat feeling like razors were falling down it. He didn't know if he had hunger pangs or just severely, seemingly unrepairable damage to his insides, but he knew that pain was inside of him, outside, all around him. His mind couldn't focus. He didn't have energy and was in a horrible state of half-life, where he wasn't unconscious but he wasn't awake enough either.

 _'Just make it stop, please...'_

"Vegeta."

The boy flinched, but didn't do much else. He couldn't. His body had just taken too much.

Frieza knelt next to him and realised that one of his eyes was cracked open. His eye was glazed over, unfocused, but it meant he was awake. He put a water bottle in front of his face and watched as the black pupil slowly focused and dilated. Vegeta opened his mouth in a watery gasp, his lips trembling. His hand slowly moved through the floor, his face tightening with pain at the simple action. Frieza glared coldly as the bent and twisted fingers wrapped around the bottle, his wrist skinned to the bone.

But that was it.

He couldn't roll his body sideways or sit up to drink, and he couldn't muster the strength to raise the bottle. Tears welled in his eyes.

Frieza growled impatiently and pushed Vegeta's body to the side, making him roll onto his back. He ignored the boy's moans of pain. Then, he grabbed his matted hair and pulled him up, forcing him to sit up. The trembling of his body intensified and his eyes screwed shut. He coughed, roughly, blood trickling down his lips, before Frieza forced his mouth open and shoved the bottle inside. Vegeta managed to maintain his position without Frieza's help and eventually grabbed the bottle with both hands, making an inhuman effort to lift it. He soon realised that it wasn't normal water... It tasted different, a bit salty, but he didn't care at the moment.

"Capsule Corporation isn't the only business with state of the art medicine." Frieza said. He got up and Vegeta flinched, moaning as the pain intensified. "I expect you upstairs in fifteen minutes. Unless you want to get tied up again."

Vegeta shook his head, looking away as his body shuddered.

Frieza's "medicine" was nothing more than an energy booster and nutrient replenisher. It had rehydrated Vegeta a little bit, and he wasn't extremely drowsy or more unconscious than awake, but it took him a lot more than 15 minutes to be able to move. The pain was absurd. Old and new wounds competed in the spotlight, making him jerk and shake uncontrollably as tears cascaded down his face. Choked sobs and whimpers escaped his mouth, but he couldn't cry out. He dry heaved, but there was absolutely nothing left in his system, so a stream of blood simply dripped through his clenched teeth. Very slowly, he crawled out of the puddle of blood, trying to ignore the torture weapons lying around. He reached a wall and put his hands on it, shuddering as he stared at his bloodied wrists, the bone showing below the horrid injuries.

Slowly, he leaned on the wall as he tried to get on his feet, but as soon as he made the effort of straightening up, his world went black for a second and he fell backwards. He gasped, his whole body tensing in pain. Sweat broke throughout his entire body and he shook uncontrollably, crying as he realised that he simply could not move. Frieza had gone too far.

 _'Please, please just let me die. Please. Make it stop.'_

It wasn't after more than half an hour that Frieza walked down into the basement again and spotted Vegeta curled into a tight ball of savaged flesh. He had moved from his original spot, but he hadn't been able to do much more. It wasn't enough for him, though. Rage was still boiling inside of him from Vegeta daring to defy him.

He stomped over to the boy, who curled into a tighter ball and sobbed harder. The man grabbed his arm in a tight grip, making him whimper in pain as he rubbed the horrid wounds and put pressure on the formerly dislocated limb, and pulled him up. Vegeta's mouth opened to cry out, but no sound came out besides a hoarse hiss. He swayed and his knees buckled, making him fall forward. Frieza caught him by the hair and pulled his face close to his.

"Cut it out." he growled. "Stand up like a man, you filthy rat." Vegeta parted his legs, trying to gain some balance. Frieza released his hair and crossed his arms, glaring at the boy, who tried to look at anywhere but at his cruel tormentor. "I told you to be upstairs over half an hour ago."

"I-I-I..." Vegeta gasped, "-c-...can't m-m-ah-move."

"Yeah, well... Looks like you want to stay in the basement for a while longer. Should I tie you back up?"

Despair washed over Vegeta with an overwhelming strength. He lost the strength in his legs and fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably in fear. He was mentally destroyed. He couldn't handle the pain, and the fear and Frieza's presence... and the basement.

"God, please..." he sobbed.

Frieza grabbed his hair again, this time softly, and pulled his head back to look at the boy's face. His bruised, bloodied and destroyed face was a delightful sight, but even more so with the intense fear in it. His eyebrows furrowed, his open mouth shaking and tears coursing down his face. He knew his lesson had gotten through. The thought would never cross Vegeta's mind again.

"Say you're sorry."

"Haa- Ah- I-I-I'm s-s-o-rry." he whispered. He had said it countless times throughout the week, among other humiliating things, but Frieza would never get tired of forcing him to degrade himself.

"Say I own you."

Vegeta closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"Y-y-you o-o-own m-m-e-e."

"You're disgusting, Vegeta. You're nothing. I'm sure your father is ecstatic that he died. What a shame to have a son like you."

Vegeta didn't answer anything, but Frieza could hear the tiny sobs. He smiled and grabbed the boy's arm again, ignoring his gasps of pain as he dragged him through the basement, up the stairs and into the kitchen. Then he released the boy, who crumpled to the floor, coughing blood and bile and convulsing horribly from the simple effort of moving his legs at Frieza's pace.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Clean this place up."

He left without another word, and Vegeta simply curled into a ball, his eyes closing shut as he willed himself to just die on the spot so that he didn't have to suffer any longer.

* * *

Frieza knew he had taken it a bit too far.

Vegeta hadn't woken up since he had passed out in the kitchen, and he had taken him to the hospital. The doctors weren't very optimistic about his condition. He didn't have a lot of broken bones except for his hands, ribs and face, but the internal injuries were horrendous. Most of his organs were failing, and bleeding so much that the doctors didn't know very well how he hadn't bled dry. His injuries were infected, badly, too, and his body was simply giving up.

Still, Frieza wanted him to suffer further.

He instructed the doctors to heal the life-threatening injuries, and allowed the boy to stay in the hospital for a few days while they healed him from days of food deprivation and extreme physical strain, but he didn't let them cure the rest of his savaged body.

But Vegeta was far from healthy when he was released from the hospital. Frieza allowed Malaka to visit him a once a week to check on the internal injuries and infection, but that was it.

The boy was trying to keep his mind away from the relentless pain, in the limousine on their way back home, when Frieza spoke.

"Things will change from now on, Vegeta." he growled. "New rules."

Vegeta didn't say anything. He was way too injured and in so much pain... He didn't feel like talking. Besides, he felt emotionally numb, like he always felt after horrible tortures. He could feel his trauma growing inside his head.

"You will not skip school ever again. I don't care if your legs are broken. You will feel my punishments now." he said. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir." Vegeta muttered.

"You will not talk to the Briefs girl again. You will not acknowledge her presence. I have eyes and ears everywhere, as I'm sure you know by now, so I will know if you even say hello to her." he glared at the boy as Vegeta's eyes widened. "Understood?"

"But - "

"Am. I. Understood?" the man said, harshly, leaning closer to Vegeta and smiling as the boy flinched and pressed himself against the car's door.

Vegeta swallowed. He should've known... He had hugged and kissed Bulma in front of Frieza. He should've known that the bastard would take her away!

"Yes." he whispered after struggling with himself. His whole body was screaming at him to just obey Frieza.

"The same goes for your friend, Kakkarot. You will not speak to him ever again."

"What has he got to do with anything?" Vegeta asked, trying to sound brave and angry. Frieza smirked, though, because he knew how traumatised he was. He could hear it in his voice.

"He helps you out. I won't accept that. You thought your life was as bad as it could get, well, you were wrong." the monster answered. "You should've never escaped. I will make you even more miserable. You will wish you had stayed put that night all those months ago." Vegeta simply closed his eyes. He felt so exhausted. "And there's one more thing."

Vegeta opened his eyes as he heard the sadistic glee in Frieza's voice. His heart went into overdrive and he cringed.

"I allowed your siblings to stay at the Briefs... but you're not allowed to see them ever again."

"What?" he said, his eyes wide.

"You heard me. Consider them gone from your life, just like your mother."

Vegeta stayed silent for a minute, not believing the words that were coming out of Frieza's mouth.

"Y-you... you can't do that to me."

Before he knew what was happening, Frieza had slammed him against the car's black window. He cried out as his horribly injured and swollen face crashed against the glass. Frieza kept him pressed against it as he spoke with horrible joy in his voice.

"I can do whatever the hell I want with you. As we already established, I fucking own you. Or did you forget?"

Vegeta shuddered as he remembered Frieza constantly stabbing him with a jagged piece of glass in his ribs and sides, dragging it down and upwards and sideways, making him repeat over and over that he was Frieza's property.

"N-no." he said as the pain on his face grew unbearable.

Frieza released him and he gingerly touched his brow, which had begun to bleed again.

"Good. Then we're on the same page."

Vegeta's eyes watered and he closed them, swallowing painfully against the knot in his throat.

"Why?" he muttered, cringing as he expected another blow. Frieza didn't hit him though, he simply smiled at Vegeta's submissive attitude. It had been a while since he had behaved like that. He wondered how long it would take him to get back onto his feet, although he didn't know if he would. The torture had been long and horrible, and he worried that the boy wouldn't bounce back up.

"Because I say so." he growled.

* * *

It was only a few days later that the day before school began arrived.

Malaka had tried to disuade Frieza of forcing Vegeta to go to school, since the boy could barely walk or move at all.

Vegeta was sitting on his bed, trembling slightly as he heard Frieza's angry voice downstairs.

"I don't care what your professional opinion is! The little rat won't stay here!"

"He can't move - "

"Serves him right. That's his punishment. I won't let him stay to lick his wounds."

Malaka came back into the room a couple minutes later, looking apologetically at the boy on the bed. He sighed. Vegeta looked extremely worn out and he didn't look much better than when Frieza had brought him into the hospital. His eyes were still swollen and black and blue bruises stood all over his face, along with cuts and gashes. His neck was black, blue and red, and the doctor could see rope burns on it, making him realise that Frieza had choked him with a rope, and his hands and who knows what else. The boy had already gotten dressed, but the doctor remembered every single wound on his body, and he wondered how he was sitting up at all.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta." the doctor whispered. He sat next to the boy.

"It's not your fault. It's one of his new rules." he answered.

"I'm sorry he found you." he said softly. The boy didn't answer and Malaka tried to change the topic. "Remember to take the medicine I gave you before every meal for two weeks. It's the only one he allowed me to give you. It will help with your internal injuries."

Vegeta simply nodded.

"VEGETA!" Frieza shouted from downstairs. The boy flinched, making fresh waves of pain run down his whole body. He coughed and hissed, his eyes closing shut as his trembling hands went to his sides, to soothe his horribly painful torso. His ribs and stomach hurt the most and he cringed as the pain didn't relent, tiny gasps escaping his mouth. His face went red from strain and sweat broke throughout his forehead.

"Oh, my." Malala said, extremely worried. He put pressure on the boy's sides, trying to stabilise him. "It's okay. Breathe. In... out... in... out. That's it."

Vegeta tried to breathe as the doctor told him, and the pain slowly receded. It never went away, but at least he could get up and go downstairs to see what Frieza wanted. His eyes watered and he whimpered slightly as he stood up, his body swaying and his knees shaking terribly. He wobbled a few steps, not being able to walk straight. He put a hand across his torso, trying to soothe the pain, as the other one supported him against the walls. Malaka rubbed his forehead. How he wished he could give the boy painkillers or something else to help him...

* * *

Bulma waited nervously and impatiently in her seat. Classes had started half an hour before and Vegeta hadn't shown up yet.

She was starting to really worry. She had checked the class list and Vegeta's name was still on it, which gave her a lot of hope. It meant Frieza hadn't moved away from the city or... killed him.

Her eyes watered at the thought and once again she tried to fruitlessly pay attention to the teacher.

Suddenly, someone opened the door. A smile began to tug at the corners of her lips, but it soon vanished as she saw Vegeta's state. A tear escaped her eye as he walked into the classroom.

He looked awful. His whole body irradiated intense pain.

"I'm sorry I'm late." he muttered, his voice hoarse and choked.

"What on Earth happened to you?" the teacher asked, looking at him, dumbfounded. Then he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Let me guess. Another street fight."

"Yeah." he sighed. He limped to a seat in the back of the classroom. His eyes tried to stay on the ground so that he didn't have to look at... her. He could see the blue from the corner of his eye and it was killing him. It was truly tearing him down, to know that he couldn't talk to her. As he walked past Bulma, he heard a sob and closed his eyes, swallowing painfully. He sat with difficulty.

"Vegeta, are you sure you don't want to swing by the infirmary? I highly disapprove of your behaviour but - "

"I'm fine." he said. "Really."

Bulma felt as though he was talking to her, even if her back was turned to him.

As soon as the bell rang, Bulma hopped from her seat and ran to Vegeta, sobbing uncontrollably. Some people turned to look at her, but soon everyone ignored them and the classroom was empty . She knelt next to his seat, since he hadn't gotten up yet, and caressed his injured face.

"Oh my God. Vegeta. What did he do? Are you alright? What happened?" she sobbed in a low voice, so that no one would hear even if they were alone at the moment. Vegeta pushed her hand away and got up from his seat, a groan of pain escaping his throat. Bulma shot to her feet and tried to touch him, but he stepped back, a hand settling on his stomach. "My dad is doing everything to - "

"Bulma." he said softly. He looked into her wet, blue eyes and felt himself crumbling down. He swallowed painfully and put on a stoic face. He needed to be strong. Stronger than he'd ever been. It was one thing to have people walking away... It was quite another to walk away from people you loved. But he had to. For her. "Stay away from me."

And he left.

But he couldn't walk very fast, so Bulma soon caught up with him.

She grabbed his wrist and he moaned through clenched teeth, jerking it back close to his body. She put a hand on her mouth.

"Vegeta... please. What happened? You're very injured. Come to my house after school. We can heal you and - "

"I told you to stay away!" he growled.

"Don't try to shut me off!" she sobbed. "I won't leave you alone."

Vegeta sighed and swallowed, looking around to see if he could catch someone staring suspiciously at them. Unfortunately, everyone was, since he was extremely wounded and Bulma was crying heavily. He looked back at her.

"Follow me."

Bulma followed him, nervously, out of the school and behind the school grounds, where nobody could see them. At least he hoped so. Once they were alone, she caressed his face and neck but he stepped back, looking away and trying to grab every inch of emotional strength that he had, which wasn't much.

"Vegeta..."

"I'll get to the point and get this over with." he said, not looking at her. "Frieza has new rules for me. Rules that obviously I can't break."

"What rules?" she asked nervously.

"Not speaking to you ever again." he said in a thin voice, closing his eyes as she gasped. "Or Kakkarot. I haven't seen him today but if you do... please tell him."

"Oh my God."

"And... the kids. I can't... see them." he said, his voice choked as he stepped back even more. God, it hurt. His emotions were as painful as his body.

"He can't do that!" she said, wailingly.

"He can do whatever he wants." he told her, shuddering. His hands went to his sides, grabbing his torso in horrible agony. He tried not to show it, though. He didn't want to hurt her further, but her whimpers intensified and she walked closer to him. He looked at her then, for the first time since they walked into the back of the school. Her blue eyes tormented him. He wanted to kiss her and hold her and never let go. His hand hesitantly reached up to her face. "I'm sorry." he whispered. Then he leaned down and kissed her forehead, slightly, his heart aching as she sobbed and clung to his shirt.

Then he stepped back, trying not to look at her and walked away, his eyes watering as her sobs didn't stop. The sound of her crying followed him until he walked into the school and barged into an empty bathroom, locking the door and pulling out various paper towels.

Frieza's spy turned around.

He knew he should've reported it to Frieza. He should've told him that Vegeta had spoken to Bulma.

But he would let it go. The boy was only saying good-bye. He'd grant him that.

* * *

 _It's always darkest before dawn, guys._

 _Until next time!_

 _Please R &R._


	23. Chapter 23

Days passed by and things only seemed to get worse for everyone.

Frieza was restless. His beatings were too heavy. Before Vegeta had escaped, some of Frieza's beatings were shallow and lazy, leaving only a few purple bruises behind. Now he was angry every single day. Just looking at Vegeta filled him with incontrollable rage. Nobody had ever defied him like Vegeta had and he intended to break him down until nothing was left of the proud heir of Ouji.

Frieza didn't have to impose even more rules on Vegeta to make him lose even more. His physical condition made him unable to perform day to day activities, like sports or studying. Soon, his GPA went downhill. He had no time or energy to do homework, and he was in a lot of pain, constantly, so he couldn't pay attention, he wasn't doing well with the schoolwork... and he was forced to abandon the Martial Arts Club and the Football Team.

Goku has warming up when the football teacher, who was mostly absent during their practice, walked into the football field.

"Guys, I have something to say." he told them. The boys looked at him. "Vegeta, our team captain, has some big personal issues so he is... withdrawing from the team for the time being." a collective gasp spread through their team. Goku raised his eyebrows. "Kakkarot Son, may I have a word with you?"

Goku nodded and walked up to him.

"What happened to Vegeta?"

"You tell me, you're his friend." the teacher said, worried. "He came up to me yesterday afternoon and said he couldn't be the captain anymore. I was a little confused but... to be honest, he's been missing every single practice since the term started and he's always so beaten up. It's frightening."

"Yeah, well, the gang fights..."

"Yes, I know about that and it didn't worry me much until now. These past few days he's been in a horrible condition."

"I know." Goku muttered, nodding. "I wish there was more I could tell you, but he and I... had a small fight and are not speaking to each other."

"Well, a pity. Anyway, that's not really what I wanted to talk to you about. I need to assign a new captain and I'd love it if it were you."

Goku swallowed and nodded hesitantly.

* * *

"Vegeta!" Goku called.

Vegeta froze and slowly turned around. Goku knew that they couldn't talk. Why was he trying to, anyway?

Goku's heart went out for his friend. His whole body was shaking and his face looked terribly full of pain. A scarf was wrapped around his neck even if it was a warm day, and he was hunched over. It had been a long time since Goku had seen him so hurt, so tired... so empty.

"I know we're not supposed to be talking but... I just... The P.E teacher just told me that you left the football team."

"Yeah." Vegeta answered in a hoarse voice. He was about to turn around, but Goku stopped him.

"Wait. I... I know things are really bad right now but - "

"Kakkarot, as bad as things are, if I get caught talking to you, they'll soon get worse. So for both our sakes please stay away from me." he growled.

"I just... the coach just told me you quit the team."

Vegeta glared at him even harder and licked at the blood on his lips.

"Do I look like I can even stretch?" he said in a low whisper, filled with deep anger. "Frieza won't let me rest and I can't attend any football practice like this, let alone the games or tournaments. What else did you expect?"

"Did you leave the Martial Arts club as well?"

"I had to." he growled. "Look, please don't talk to me. Please. I really can't take much more of his anger."

With that, he turned around and limped away.

* * *

Chichi sat next to Goku and sighed, looking at him apologetically. They had been having a lot of troubles for the last month or so. Goku had been extremely distant towards her, looking very worried and sad all the time, but every time she tried to ask what was wrong, he would shut off or ignore her. She'd insist until she'd get angry and shout at him, and he had ended up trying to avoid her. It hurt her a lot, that her boyfriend wouldn't share his thoughts with her, especially since they were troubling him so much.

She was also upset about Bulma. She had been crying since the first day of school, and after practically vanishing for the whole vacations, it was just too awkward to hang around with her. She was also hiding a huge secret. Chichi wasn't stupid either, she knew that the common denominator was the fact that Vegeta was physically destroyed, even more than before.

"Goku." she said softly, putting a hand on his arm.

"Chichi, I'm really not in the mood for a fight."

"I know." she said. "I'm not going to yell, or argue. I promise. Goku, I love you very much and I don't want us to be drawn apart. Please, please... let me in on whatever is making you this depressed. I want to spend my whole life with you, but you have to let me in on this. Not because you can't keep secrets from me but because I want to support you."

Goku looked away and Chichi saw his eyes watering. She sighed and caressed his back.

The boy sighed softly and slowly let go of his horrible secret. It was true, Chichi was his girlfriend. Besides, it wasn't like she could do anymore harm. They had all hit rock bottom.

"Did you ever stop to wonder why Vegeta stayed at Bulma's vacation house for the whole summer? Or why she 'vanished', as you say it?"

"He did?" Chichi asked, dumbfounded. "I had no idea! I thought he had just been visiting, too, when we went."

"Well, no." Goku said. "He was living with her."

"Why?"

"Vegeta has never been in a gang fight, Chichi. He's a victim of horrible child abuse." Goku said softly. "Every single time he's gotten here injured, it's been because of Frieza."

Goku slowly told Chichi everything. He told her how miserable Vegeta's life had been since they were kids and how they both had to stay quiet. He told her how he had found out and how he had had to help heal his injuries even when they looked like they would kill him any second. The story was very long and hard to hear, and both him and Chichi spilled a few tears. He also told her how one day, Frieza's friends had showed up and Tarble and Trunks had simply appeared at his door, and how Vegeta had escaped and ended up at Bulma's house. Finally, he told her how there had been a trial but they had all lost, and now Vegeta was back with Frieza, suffering worse than he ever had.

Chichi was silent for a long moment, rubbing Goku's back.

"I'm so sorry, honey." she said softly. She kissed his cheek. "And I feel so bad for misjudging him like that."

"Chichi, you can never, ever tell him that I told you. In fact, if he ever finds out that you know he'll go on a murderous rampage. And you can't tell anyone. Nobody can find out or it will get worse. You can't tell a single soul."

"I won't." she said softly. "I swear."

Goku smiled and remembered all over again how much he loved his girlfriend.

* * *

Dr. Malaka rubbed his forehead before ringing the bell.

A jumpy, scaredy maid opened the door. She smiled slightly at him before moving aside and letting him in. He nodded at her and sighed heavily as he walked through the hall of the enormous house. He heard voices inside and was soon greeted by a huge dinner table filled with dark, old businessmen, discussing in a low voice. Frieza was at the end of the table, smiling wolfishly. His eyes lit up as he saw the doctor. He stood up and immediately everyone quieted down.

"Dr. Malaka. I'm so pleased to have you in my home."

"Mr. Kold. Always a pleasure." he said hastily, his eyes swiping across the men in the room.

"Vegeta is in his room. Please, make yourself at home."

The doctor nodded shortly and went on his way. He tried not to look at the streaks, puddles and spots of blood on the floor. The maids were trying to clean around the house, scrubbing the walls and floor with the little light inside the horrid mansion. He walked up the stars and ignored the steps and banister covered in blood, too.

The door of his room was ajar, the doorknob bloodied and the streaks of blood getting thicker and darker. He pushed the door open slowly and hesitantly, and his heart jumped.

The room was dark but some light was coming in from the window. Vegeta was sitting on the floor next to his bed, his bloodied and crushed fingers clenching the sheets. It looked like he was trying to get up on his bed but simply didn't have the strength to do it. His whole body was drenched in blood and the injuries glared at the doctor, creating a huge lump in his throat. An enormous puddle of blood was growing beneath him and his choked whimpers and sobs filled the otherwise silent room. His wide, red, wet eyes landed on the doctor and he cringed, his body shaking even more as raw fear settled on his features. He looked like he had seen Frieza walking into the room.

"Vegeta." the doctor said softly, trying to soothe the horribly traumatised boy. "Here, let me help you."

Vegeta flinched when the doctor walked closer to him, and he tried to pull himself up, but he simply couldn't. He gasped in pain as the doctor pulled him up from his armpits and cried out as he helped him lie down on the bed. The white sheets soon turned red.

"D-doc-tor." Vegeta whispered hoarsely. His eyes closed involuntarily as pain spread through his entire body. The doctor sighed and sat next to him on the bed.

"It's alright. You'll be up and about in no time." he lied. He slowly opened his first aid kit and took out all of his medicines, gauze, stitches and painkillers. "Are you coughing or throwing up blood?" Vegeta shook his head. That was something. At least his internal injuries were healing fine. The external injuries though... that was a different matter. Days over days of horrendous abuse overlapped on the boy's body: old injuries that had been so severe they hadn't healed yet, injuries that had reopened due to Frieza's continued assault, infected ones that seemed to turn even more severe with the passage of time... and the horrid new ones. He could hardly tell the ones that Frieza had made that day and the day after his last visit. It was just a mass of pain and torture. "I wish he'd let me take you to the hospital."

Vegeta opened his mouth to answer but he simply coughed and groaned, his eyes watering again. The doctor put a hand on his forehead softly, sighing at his flushed and feverish skin.

The horrible process began again. He removed what was left of the boy's clothing and gave him a rag to bite on. Frieza hated it when they made noise, like screaming, crying and begging. He didn't like his meetings to be disrupted.

Vegeta closed his eyes shut and his body vibrated with anxious fear. He didn't want anymore pain. He was so exhausted. He bit on the rag, his jaw aching from the bruises on it. He flinched as the doctor placed a warm, wet towel against his face and began to clean it. It was a bit soothing but he was still terrified. The doctor tried to calm him down. He applied warm water to his face, neck and forehead, and was as gentle as he could, but it didn't last for too long. He had to apply alcohol, stitch the wounds, wrap gauze around him, apply the medicines... and he only had water and painkillers to soothe him. At least his face only had a bruise on his jaw and a small cut above his eyebrow. Even enraged, Frieza didn't want to raise suspicions at school.

After over an hour of screaming and crying and attempting to heal passed, the doctor was finally done with his front. Vegeta's eyes were hooded since he was really close to unconsciousness at that point. He had, in fact, passed out for a few times. Tears were falling down the sides of his face, his teeth clenching the rag. His head was arched backwards as he tried to look at the ceiling instead of his savaged flesh and the doctor's rudimentary procedures. His shoulders and chest were jumping and jerking with his sobs and his recently bandaged hands were clenching the sheets so hard, the gauze was already dark red.

"Alright." the doctor sighed as he wiped the blood off the last injury he had stitched. "Can you turn over?"

Vegetas red, wet eyes settled on the doctor with a pleading face. He just wanted it to be over. The doctor smiled encouragingly at him, trying not to look as emotionally drained as he felt every time he had to cure Vegeta's injuries. He took out a damp towel and cleaned his tears. The boy closed his eyes but couldn't stop sobbing. It just hurt too bad.

Malaka put his hands under the boy's body and winced as he flinched and whimpered, his eyes closing shut again. The doctor wanted to give him more painkillers but he had already given him two very strong pills. He slowly rolled his body to the side and tried to ignore Vegeta's cries of pain that were muffled by the rag between his teeth. He finally managed to get him onto his front. Vegeta's sobs got louder and his trembling got worse as he lied on his recently healed injuries. Sweat poured down his body and his face turned red from strain.

The screaming and crying began all over again as the doctor sterilised and stitched the wounds. Vegeta squirmed and writhed, and the doctor had to actually hold him down at times. He'd try to whisper soothing words and clean the sweat and tears off his face, but the boy was too far gone in his agony to listen to him and his screams were louder than the doctor's words.

When it was finally over, Malaka helped him get on his least injured side and cleaned his sweaty and tear-stained face. The boy was delirious, begging and pleading as if he were still in Frieza's basement.

"Hey, it's alright. It's over." he said softly. "You can go to sleep now."

He pulled the rag from his teeth and applied a numbing cream on his jaw so that the muscle would relax. Vegeta closed his eyes and his sobs slowly stopped as he drifted off.

Frieza smiled as Malaka walked back down the stairs. He got up from his seat and everyone immediately tensed and quieted down.

"How did it go?" he asked as he slowly made his way to the doctor.

"He can't heal properly like this." Malaka said. "Why do you insist on having me heal him if you're just going to reopen the wounds over and over?"

"You can stop coming to see him if you want to." Frieza said with a shrug. "Vegeta would miss you but, well, I can't compel you to stay."

Malaka glared at him and clenched his teeth in anger.

"Why do you keep him around? Why don't you just kill him?"

Frieza smiled.

"Where's the fun in that?"

* * *

 _"Well, what do we have here?" Frieza said cruelly. "They somehow made your scar disappear."_

 _Vegeta opened his eyes with a lot of difficulty. He looked down at his chest. A small, white patch of skin was the only remainder of what was once the horrid Kold Symbol. The rest of his body was covered in horrid wounds. He flinched as Frieza traced his finger along the spot where it used to be. He shook even harder as dread filled his body. Frieza had thrown each and every one of his medicines away while he beat him and if he burnt him again... Well, there wasn't anything he could do about it. Frieza's fingers traced down and he touched the fresh wounds, making Vegeta gasp and jerk in pain._

 _"It looked so good on you." he said. "I'm tempted to do it again."_

 _Vegeta closed his eyes and shook his head._

 _"No." he moaned._

 _"Yes." Frieza said, pulling out the charm from his pocket. It was still covered in blood. Frieza smiled and laughed cruelly as Vegeta's eyes widened and choked whimpers escaped from the back of his throat._

 _"Please." he sobbed in a choked voice as Frieza slowly walked over to the desk where he kept the blowtorch. His eyes closed as terrible fear invaded him. "Don't do this, please."_

 _Frieza laughed and pulled something out of the desk, but he didn't show it to Vegeta yet. Vegeta fruitlessly tried to pull his hands free as the monster walked back to him, his hands behind his back, his smile insane and his eyes wide with insanity._

 _"Please, please, no." the boy kept sobbing, terrified. He couldn't believe he was back there. He just couldn't. He had been so hopeful about the outcome of the trial... He closed his eyes as Frieza stopped close to him. The monster chuckled, but he hadn't brought the blowtorch. He smiled insanely as he lifted the piece of broken glass in his hand and jammed it straight into Vegeta's ribs. He laughed as the boy screamed his lungs out._

 _"Say I own you." he said as he twisted it._

Vegeta woke up with a gasp and a jerk. He breathed in tiny gasps and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. He had passed out for a few minutes inside one of the bathroom stalls as he tried to clean a horrible wound in his stomach that kept spewing blood that was seeping through the gauze. He swallowed a few times and slowly got up. Pain wracked his body but he swallowed his sounds of agony.

Bulma and Goku watched from a distance as Vegeta slowly made his way to the locker. Burma's eyes watered and she covered her mouth with her hand as she watched him struggle with his body. She wanted nothing but to talk to him and hold him and take him to her house so that he could rest.

Vegeta slowly opened his locker and his eyes widened as he saw what was inside. There was a small jar filled with painkillers, a small cream to numb the bruises and a bottle of water. He couldn't believe it. He only took painkillers when the doctor gave them to him and sometimes Frieza wouldn't even allow it. He lifted up a shaky hand hesitantly... but he stopped. What if it was a trap? As far as he knew, Frieza's spies were inside the school. He swallowed before looking around. His eyes spotted Goku and Bulma in the distance, staring at him nervously. He saw Buma wiping her eyes and the shadow of a smile appeared on his face.

He turned back to his locker and opened the jar. There was a small note inside of it.

 _'I know you can't talk to me and I shouldn't talk to you, so you should probably throw this away as soon as you're donde reading it. I just had to let you know that even though the circumstances look horribly wrong, I am here for you every single step of the way. I don't care about Frieza's stupid rules. You and I have something that he can't ever break or destroy. I love you more than words can describe, and as I told you long ago: You're not alone and you will never alone. Ever._

 _Don't be saddened if you see me cry. Don't be saddened about the kids either. They are happy, loved and cherished by my parents and they know you will return._

 _Begeta, I have faith in the circumstances. I have faith in your strength, both physical and of spirit. And most importantly, I have faith in you, even when I know that you have ceased to believe in yourself._

 _We will get through this. Together._

 _Love, B.'_

Vegeta's eyes watered as he read it. He choked back a small sob and crumpled the paper in his hand before looking back. Bulma smiled at him as she fought tears back. He bit his lip and a shaky smile spread through his lips. Bulma could see in his eyes that he returned all of her love, in its entirety. She felt like they could fight back.

Just not yet...

Vegeta broke the paper in pieces and stuffed them in his pocket before taking two pills and swallowing them down. They began working within five minutes and he was incredibly grateful for that.

Suddenly, it all didn't seem so bad and black. A tiny smudge of light broke through.


	24. Chapter 24

Vegeta stared at himself in the mirror. He wanted to look away because the more he stared at his image, the more depressed and angry he got. His emotions were drowning him. He looked like a walking corpse.

He was extremely pale, his eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed, with huge bags under them. One of them was swollen and blackened and a long cut ran down his cheek. His lower lip was open and crusted with dry blood... But what was truly unsettling was his body from the neck down. Frieza's assault hadn't stopped or lowered. He couldn't stop the trembling that seemed to accompany him every single moment of every singled day. He couldn't stand straight or conceal his limp... and there was very little he could do about the horrid injuries that only increased and got worse and more painful every time. He traced a stitched gash on his stomach. It was crisscrossed by a million more, but that one in particular was extremely long and had been a huge gap. He shuddered at the memory and looked away, grabbing a few paper towels and dabbing them in the sink before slowly cleaning the drops of blood from the injuries of the night before.

* * *

Bulma was sitting on a chair outside the school, pretending that she was reading. In reality she was lost in her own thoughts, worrying and thinking about Vegeta every waking moment.

She didn't realise when a black-haired, scarred-face boy walked up to her, his fists clenched tightly at his sides and his face scrunched up in anger.

"Bulma!" he called. She jumped, startled, and looked up at him.

"Yamcha." she said softly, emotionlessly.

"We need to talk." he said. He sat next to her and glared at her, but she didn't seem to notice, her face stoic as her mind wandered back to her thoughts. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Yeah." she sighed, distracted.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Bulma?"

She frowned at his tone and finally turned to stare at him, an eyebrow arched.

"Excuse me?"

"Is that a way to break up with someone? What the hell were you thinking? Jesus! A goddamned text would've been enough!"

"What are you talking about, Yamcha?"

"Bulma, you vanished! You stopped answering your phone, you didn't respond to any of my texts! I called you every single day, at your house, your cellphone, I texted you, called your friends! You told me you'd be going to the vacation house but that doesn't give you any right to simply disappear! Do you know how awful I felt?" he ranted.

Bulma swallowed as she remembered all of his calls and texts. She had been far too busy looking after Vegeta to answer or even care about Yamcha, though.

"I'm sorry." she said, shrugging. "I had... problems."

"What kind of problems? Couldn't you at least text me that you were done with us?"

"Yamcha..."

"But that isn't even the worst part!" he said, his voice getting harder and louder. "After practically begging everyone at school for a small clue as to where you were, Krillin finally tells me, that Eighteen told him, that Chichi told her, that Vegeta was visiting you at the vacation house. Vegeta! After you told me that there was nothing going on between you two!"

"Yamcha, you don't know anything! You don't understand!" she shouted back as he neared dangerous territory.

"No, I do fucking understand, Bulma! You avoided me because you were cheating on me with that bastard! He fucked you, didn't he? And you are such a slut, that you didn't even have the guts to tell me that it as over!"

"Watch your mouth." she growled.

Yamcha's face contorted with anger as he got up, glaring down at her. She got up as well, her fists clenching at her sides.

"No!" he said. "And you know what? I don't even care. I wanted to get my revenge, but now seeing you weeping and crying your heart out every single day... Rumours must be true: He fucked you and then dumped your slutty ass."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"You don't know a thing about me or what happened to me during vacations. I'm sorry I stopped answering to your texts but come on, how far did you really think our relationship would go after you cheated on me with Maroon?"

Vegeta walked out of the school to take some air when his eyes spotted Bulma and Yamcha talking. His chest filled with jealousy, before he realised that Yamcha looked extremely angry. He slowly walked closer to them, protective instincts kicking in.

"YOU'RE SUCH A FUCKING BITCH!" he shouted. Everyone turned around to stare at them.

That was it. Vegeta snapped. Before Bulma could answer, Vegeta put himself between both of them. He pushed Yamcha with all his strength. His anger seemed to numb his body. Boiling rage was everything he felt at the moment.

Yamcha stepped back slightly, startled and afraid, before smiling evilly. He knew Vegeta was injured, heavily by the looks of it, and he wouldn't put up much of a fight. He squared his shoulders and glared at the shorter boy.

"Well, well. If it isn't the guy who fucked her and then dumped her." Yamcha said. "Like every other little slut in town."

"Shut the fuck up, you bastard, before I break each and every one of your bones."

"Really, now?" Yamcha said, mockingly. "You don't look in such a good place to be threatening me, Vegeta."

"You know I'm a much more skilled fighter than you." Vegeta growled. "Leave Bulma alone."

"Why? So you can fuck her behind the cafeteria like a bitch in heat?" He started laughing, but was soon interrupted as an iron fist slammed against his face. His nose broke instantly. He cried out, holding his face as blood seeped from his fingers. "Ow! Oh, God, you broke my nose! I'm bleeding!"

Vegeta laughed, shaking his hand as his healing fingers began to hurt.

"Stay away from her, your weak bastard."

Yamcha straightened up and aimed a fist at Vegeta's stomach, but the flame-haired boy blocked it with his forearm and counterattacked with his own, sinking his fist deep into Yamaha's belly. The taller boy coughed and fell to his knees, holding his stomach as he gasped.

"VEGETA OUJI!" someone shouted from the school entrance. He jumped and turned to look at the man who had just walked out to see the ruckus. The principal. Vegeta swallowed as all of his rage and adrenaline died down to give way to cold fear.

"Mr. Greene." he muttered. He stepped back a little as the fuming man stomped up to them.

"Follow me." he growled.

"Sir, I - "

"I said follow me. No talking. Would anyone help Mr. Yamcha to get to the infirmary?" he said. A few students scurried up to him, helping him up.

"Mr. Greene!" Bulma said, fear invading her as she realised that the man would probably call Frieza. "It wasn't Vegeta's fault. He was defending me."

The man stared at Vegeta for a moment.

"You, come with me, too." he told her. Then he turned on his heel and walked into the school. Both teenagers followed.

They sat nervously in front of the man's desk as he paced around the room. Bulma felt extremely sad and guilty as she stared from the corner of her eye how Vegeta's leg was jumping with anxiousness, his fingers picking at the gauze wrapped around his wrist and how he swallowed constantly, his eyes darting around the room. She closed her eyes as the principal cleared his throat.

"Alright. I'll give you one chance to explain what happened out there."

"Yamcha was -" Bulma started, but the principal lifted a hand, interrupting her.

"I want to hear it from Vegeta."

The boy sighed and swallowed.

"He was insulting Bulma." he said in a low voice. "He called her a slut and a bitch, and I thought I had to defend her."

"And you thought the best way of defending her was by physical force?" the principal pressed on.

"Well, yeah. Telling him to stop and leave her alone only seemed to fuel him further!" Vegeta argued.

"Mr. Greene, Vegeta was just trying to defend me, I swear. Yamcha called me a slut and he was really upset. I thought he'd hit me or something!" she argued.

The principal sighed and looked at Vegeta's bruised and pale face.

"Vegeta, you know how concerned everyone is at this school. You only seem to get worse and worse and it's only been two and a half weeks of school." he sighed. "Your violent behaviour is something that I can't keep on ignoring. I could tolerate gang fights, but now you're bringing all of that into the school and I just won't have it. I will have to call your uncle about this."

"Mr. Greene, please. He was just trying to defend me. He wasn't trying to start a fight or anything." Bulma pleaded as her heart went into overdrive.

Vegeta's whole body grew cold and a different sort of trembling grabbed a hold of him. He clenched his hands into fists.

"Please, you can't call him. It was a one time thing. I swear it won't happen again." Vegeta answered. "It wasn't even my fault. Yamcha - "

"I will call Yamaha's parents as well, so that they'll give him an earful about the name-calling situation, and he'll go to detention every day for a week." the principal said. "But I really want to talk to Mr. Frieza. This simply can't go on, Vegeta. They will kill you someday."

Bulma closed her eyes and tried with all her might to not cry.

"Frieza is... He's too busy. It was nothing, Mr. Greene. I would've never hit anyone inside the school if - "

"Violence inside the school grounds is absolutely forbidden and could lead to expulsion."

"You can't do that!" Bulma gasped.

Mr. Greene glared at her.

"Mrs. Bulma, would you please leave us?" the man said. "This is between me and Mr. Ouji."

Bulma sighed and looked at Vegeta, who was even paler and shakier. He looked at her and nodded slightly and she got up, placing a hand on his shoulder briefly before exiting the principal's office. Tears immediately welled in her eyes and she ran into the girls bathroom, praying that the principal wouldn't call Frieza.

"Alright." Mr. Greene said as they were alone. "Listen, Vegeta. I won't expel you or give you detention, but I think it's imperative that we have a word with Mr. Kold."

"He's way to busy." he explained. "He really won't care about a small fight."

"You broke Yamaha's nose. That's not nothing, Vegeta. It's really worrying." he sighed. "It's not okay what you're doing to yourself. Have you even looked at yourself lately? You can barely move at all! You're getting hurt every single night by those gangs! We've all tried to stop you but unfortunately, if it's not within the school grounds there's nothing we can do. But now that has changed. I need to talk to your guardian. He needs to know."

"Mr. Greene, please." he muttered. He wouldn't make it alive that night if Frieza got a call from school. "Please, just give me another chance."

"Don't worry, Vegeta. I'll just talk to him."

* * *

Vegeta sat outside the office as he waited for Frieza to get there. Fear invaded his entire body. He held his head between his hands, putting his elbows on his knees. He pleaded in his head for Frieza to be in a good mood. He didn't know how much more he could take with his body as devastated as it was and Frieza's rage only increasing by the day. He felt the strong urge to throw up and dizziness assaulted him. He swallowed for the millionth time. It was so unfair... He had been trying so hard to behave. He hadn't talked back to Frieza, he had done everything the man asked for days, he hadn't spoken to any of his friends and had endured all of the beatings... but Frieza didn't care about that. The man only cared about hearing him scream and watching him cry and writhe on the ground. And now it would be so much worse...

His head snapped upwards as Frieza walked into the secretary's office.

"Mr. Kold." the secretary said. "I'll tell Mr. Greene that you're here."

Frieza nodded briefly and she got up and went into the office. The man turned to look at Vegeta, who looked absolutely terrified, quivering in his seat, his eyes wide and his face white.

"You never learn, do you?"

"I-I-I-I..."

"Leave it for when you're begging in your own blood." he muttered.

"I'm sorry." Vegeta said. "I didn't - I was -"

"Mr. Kold, please come in." the secretary said as she walked back outside and sat again on her chair. "Vegeta, the principal told me that you should wait outside."

Vegeta pressed his ear to the wall as the door to the principal's office closed. He could hear their muffled voices talking.

"Mr. Kold I'm so sorry I dragged you all the way down here."

"It's quite alright. Anything for my dear Vegeta. You said he had gotten in trouble with a student?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. He punched a student in the face and in the stomach."

"Really, now? Did he tell you why?"

"Well, he said he was defending a student from another's verbal assault."

There was a short silence. Vegeta's heart was beating in his throat.

"What student?"

"Bulma Briefs."

Vegeta closed his eyes and his breath hitched. He gripped his pants with his hands, his shivering increasing tenfold. Frieza was going to kill him. No, worse that that. Frieza would make him wish for death. He got up on shaky knees and the world spun around him.

"Vegeta?" the secretary asked. "Are you alright?"

"I... I'll be in the bathroom." he muttered, before dashing out of the office and into the boy's bathroom.

He sank onto his knees after he locked the door and gripped his hair in his hands, shuddering over and over. He had caused trouble in school and he had broken Frieza's rules. He began to hyperventilate and screwed his eyes shut. He didn't know for how long he sat there, hugging his legs to his chest, gasping in fear and closing his eyes shut as his body shook and horrid images of the week Frieza had tortured him, and the days after that, crossed his mind. Suddenly, someone tried to open the door and, upon finding it locked, twisted the doorknob around.

"Vegeta." the secretary's voice said. "Are you in there? Why is this door locked?"

"I'll be right out." he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Your uncle is waiting for you in the office." she said.

Vegeta got up on shaky legs and slowly opened the door.

"Okay." he said softly.

"I told him you looked really sick so he asked the principal for permission for you to miss school tomorrow. Just go home and rest, honey." she told him.

* * *

"You're useless." Frieza growled as he slammed a fist into his face. "You pathetic little bastard."

Vegeta tried to cover his face from the barrage of fists, but that left his gut unprotected as Frieza's knee slammed into it. He cried out and coughed blood. He would've fallen into his knees, but a hand sank into his hair and the bloodied fist connected again with his face. Frieza then flung him backwards, slamming the back of his head against the wall, a loud crack echoing in the living room.

"Ahh!" he cried out. "I wasn't talking to her!" he tried to argue, but it only earned him a fist on the side of his ribs, a stifled crack coming from the blow.

"You were defending her. That's even worse. I told you not to acknowledge her presence and you disobeyed my orders." the man growled. He punched Vegeta's torso again, another crack resonating. Vegeta cried out through clenched teeth. "You seem to have a soft spot for her. Maybe I should force her family to leave far, far away."

Vegeta's eyes widened and he stared at Frieza.

"I - I didn't - "

"So you do have a soft spot for the Briefs girl." Frieza said, a smile spreading through his face. "I knew you cared for her, but to actually go against my rules just because someone else was insulting her? Well, that's rich." he sank a fist into Vegeta's stomach and the boy cried out. His shirt slowly became drenched in dark blood and he knew that Frieza had re-opened some stitched wounds. He gasped a few times as he placed a hand on the bloodied spot, but Frieza gave him no rest. He elbowed him in his upper back, hard, and Vegeta screamed as he fell on his hands and knees. He felt blood seeping on that spot, too. "That's selfish, don't you think? I know she cares for you, too, but there's nothing you can give her." he slammed his foot on Vegeta's lower back, making him crash face first against the floor with a cry. "You don't have any family except for me. You don't have anything. You'll never be anything. That girl can be anything she dreams of. Why do you want to take it all away from her?"

Vegeta breathed in short gasps as his body hurt and the injuries burnt like fire. He closed his eyes shut and clenched his fists.

"You can't give her anything but misery, and you know it." the man growled. He kicked the boy on his side, making him roll across the floor.

"Get up." he growled. Vegeta rolled onto his stomach and tried to get up, but the re-opened wounds were just too much. Frieza stomped over to him and his heavy boot connected with his ribs, sending him crashing against the far wall. "You useless animal. Get up!"

Vegeta leaned on the wall as he got on his knees, shaking uncontrollably as his heavily injured body only got worse. He choked on blood as he tried to beg for Frieza to wait, and the monster simply walked up to him and pulled him up by his hair, making him cry out. He slammed his hard fist into his stomach again, making him double over, but he pulled on his hair to make him straighten back up before punching him again and again in the same place. Then he released his hair and the boy fell on his side, clutching his stomach as he coughed blood and fought for air.

"Fine. Keep on disobeying me." Frieza said, almost pleased.

He leaned down and grabbed Vegeta's bicep, pulling him up, and slammed a hard fist against the side of his face, then on his chest, and then on his stomach. Vegeta fell once again to his knees, wrapping his arms around his torso as his forehead lowered to the ground. His body was on fire. The previous wounds were aching with horrid pain and the new ones were freshly forming. Frieza leaned down and grabbed his hair again, before violently slamming the back of his head against the wall, and then his forehead against the floor, rendering him unconscious.

He woke up sitting on a table in the basement, his hands chained to the table allowing next to no movement. His legs were also tied to the legs of the chair he was sitting on. Cold dread filled his body as he shook in his chair. He could feel blood running down his face and body, and he feared what Frieza would do next. A clanking of tools behind him made him jump, and he slowly turned to stare at his uncle. The man smiled as he turned to see him. He stared at Vegeta's terrified face with glee and grabbed a hammer, slamming it against his own hand a few times as he walked over to the table.

He sat in front of Vegeta.

"This brings me back." he said sadistically.

"No." Vegeta breathed in fear. He fruitlessly tried to pull his hands free. His wrists were destroyed from previous punishments and he winced. "Please, I didn't mean to break your rules. I haven't spoken to her or Kakkarot for days. I swear."

"You stepped in to defend her. That's breaking my rules."

"Yes, but I wasn't going to talk to her." he said desperately, his voice thin. "I swear."

"You already know, my dear Vegeta. You break my rules, I break you."

With that, he grabbed Vegeta's right index finger and mercilessly pushed it backwards until he broke it. Vegeta screamed.

It went on for what seemed like hours as Frieza devastated his hands. He pulled and pushed his fingers, dislocating and breaking them varios times. Then he began to hammer them. He used all of his strength, lifting the hammer in the air before bringing it down on his hands over and over.

"Please..." Vegeta sobbed after a long time. Sweat and tears were running down his face and he was at the verge of puking. "I'm begging y- AHHHH" he got interrupted as Frieza hammered again. A horrid crack echoed around the room for the thousandth time. Vegeta cried harder. "Please." he whimpered.

Frieza hammered again, eliciting a sobbing scream from his victim as he laughed.

"You know you deserve this." he said, his voice deep with bloodlust and glee. Vegeta's eyes travelled down to his hands again. His fingers were all twisted and bent unnaturally, and the skin around his hands was blue and black. Blood was seeping from them, pooling below on the table. There was so much of it that some was dripping down the edge. "You'll only earn more pain for you and your girlfriend."

He hammered again and Vegeta's screams turned into uncontrolled sobs, more tears running from his eyes.

"Please, please." he begged.

"I know this hurts you, but can you imagine Bulma Briefs in the same position? It took you about half an hour to start begging. How long do you think it would take her? I'd say less than a minute."

Vegeta glared at him through his tears.

"You're sick." he whispered. He closed his eyes in anticipation as Frieza hammered again, making him scream desperately.

"I'm bored." the man said, getting up. However, before Vegeta could sigh in relief, Frieza flung his hammer towards his face and hit him. His cheekbone cracked loudly and an enormous gash formed, blood splashing around. Vegeta cried out before he blacked out.

When he came to he was still tied to the table, but he was shirtless. His eyes travelled down to his torso and he shuddered. The stitches had opened up and blood and clear liquids were oozing out of them. Wounds that were closing up had also reopened, and the little gauze he had on himself was useless now, drenched in his blood. He closed his eyes dizzily as the whole left side of his face hurt. A small sob escaped him.

"Oh, don't cry." Frieza said from behind him. "I'm here for you."

He knelt behind him and pulled on his hair, so that Vegeta's head was resting on his shoulder. The boy struggled against the grip, but his body didn't budge. Frieza smiled sadistically as he lifted a knife in his hand, and he plunged it into Vegeta's side. He screamed in pain, writhing, but Frieza wasn't done. He pulled the knife downwards, making the gash longer and wider, and Vegeta could only squirm and sob loudly. He pulled it out and Vegeta shook as tears ran down his face. He couldn't move an inch as Frieza held his hair tighter. The man lifted the knife again and this time sank it into his leg, not stopping until he reached the bone. Vegeta shrieked again, his back arching off the back of the chair. He clenched his teeth as Frieza pulled it out again and got up, releasing his hair. The man walked around him and sank the knife right below his ribs, dragging it sideways as Vegeta shrieked horribly. He pulled it out and stabbed him a few more times, causing the boy horrible piercing pain.

Vegeta panted, his eyes screwed shut. The knife sank again into the right side of his belly. Frieza twisted it, making Vegeta convulse in pain as blood seeped from his mouth.

"God, please." he sobbed. "Stop."

Frieza left the knife there and went to unchain the cuffs from the table. Vegeta's hands remained cuffed, but they weren't tied to the table anymore. He immediately went to try to pull the knife out, but Frieza stopped him, grabbing the small chain hanging from the cuffs and pulling the boy into a standing position. He yelped and stumbled as his leg hurt horribly and he put all of his weight on the uninjured one. He didn't last long, though, as Frieza suddenly slammed a hard cane into his back. He cried out and fell on his knees. Frieza showed him no mercy as he slammed the cane over and over on his back, splitting his skin open, making the older wounds even worse, and creating horrible welts and gashes. Vegeta fell on his hands and knees, trying not to fall onto his face in account of the knife still sticking out of his side.

He screamed and cried, trying to crawl away, but his hands were useless like that and his leg was unresponsive.

After a long time of using the horrible tool, Frieza kicked Vegeta's side, a crack accompanying the boys scream as he rolled onto his back. The cane slammed on his stomach, on his chest, the front of his legs, even his face, over and over and over, until welts and gashes and long, long cuts blanketed his skin. Old and new.

Vegeta's breath came out in short gasps and whimpers. He was in so much pain...

A knock on the basement door made Frieza stop, the cane midair as he prepared to continue ripping Vegeta's body apart.

"What?" he said rudely.

"Uh... S-s-sir." a hesitant voice came in. A maid. "Your guests have arrived."

"Good." Frieza smiled. He looked down at his ward and smiled insanely, making Vegeta shudder and look away. He knelt down and pulled the knife out, making Vegeta cry out in pain. "Come on. I called Dr. Malaka. He should be here soon."

Vegeta couldn't fight back as Frieza grabbed his arm and pulled him up. He cried out, moaning as Frieza dragged him through the basement and up the stairs. He jerked the door open and the maid stepped back.

She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth and her eyes watering as she stared at Frieza's bloodied clothes, and the horribly devastated boy behind him. He was hunched over, crying and shaking as blood seeped from every inch of his mangled body. She scurried away before tears fell down her face.

Frieza laughed.

"It was such a great idea to have them come more than once a week." he mused as he continued dragging Vegeta along, ignoring how he whimpered from his injured leg. When they reached the stairs, he pulled on Vegeta's arm, making him fall on his knees. He cried out and his hand covered the nasty gash on his leg as he shuddered and tried to breathe through the pain. "I trust you can find your way back up. And Vegeta," he pulled on his hair, making him yelp. "We're not done. Your punishment will be much more severe than this... Just wait until I have some more free time and I'll make you beg like the dirty little rat you are." He let go of him and made his way to the dinning table, uncaring of how his clothes were drenched in Vegeta's blood.

Vegeta didn't know what to do. He couldn't grip the banister with his hands and he couldn't go up the stairs with the wound on his leg. He sobbed as he slowly lowered his forehead until it rested against one of the steps, and his body slumped down. He laid there, on the floor, watching with glazed eyes as blood spurted from his body. He felt like he couldn't breathe and he closed his eyes dizzily, praying for unconsciousness.

He didn't notice when he passed out, but he was jerked awake by a hand shaking his shoulder. He moaned and his bloodshot eyes looked up. Dr. Malaka was trying to wake him up.

"Vegeta." he said softly. "Come on, I'll help you up to your room."

Vegeta tried to remain awake, but as soon as the doctor tried to pull him up, he passed out again.

He woke again in his room due to horrible, horrible pain in his hands. His wide eyes looked around and he realised someone was grabbing his injured hands. He immediately tried to pull them free, before someone shushed him softly.

"Hey, it's alright. I'm trying to heal you. It's me, dr. Malaka." he said soothingly.

Vegeta swallowed and looked around. He was propped up against the wall, sitting on some towels that were slowly getting drenched in his blood. His hands were still cuffed, and the doctor was cleaning them. His fingers didn't look twisted unnaturally anymore, but they did look swollen and black.

"W-what are you doing?" he asked in a whisper.

"I just finished twisting them back into place. You're lucky you didn't wake up while I was doing it." the doctor said. "I'm just cleaning the blood and now I have to stitch some of the cuts. But don't worry, they aren't too big."

Vegeta swallowed uneasily and moaned when the doctor put a little too much pressure on them.

"I-it hurts." he said.

"I know. It's alright." the doctor said softly. He sighed and looked into Vegeta's eyes. "Frieza said I can only heal your hands and the wound on your leg, and I can re-stitch previous wounds... but that's it. He says he's not done yet. I'm sorry."

Vegeta nodded and closed his eyes, resting his head against the wall and grunting as he felt a lance of pain.

* * *

Vegeta skipped school for the first time since vacations after that, with Frieza's permission when he saw that his hands were in an awful state and so was his leg.

It didn't stop him from tormenting Vegeta further, though.

He didn't release Vegeta's hands from the cuffs and instead tied them to a wall as he beat him for hours with with brass knuckles. Then, he spent some time poking and digging his finger into the wound on the side of his stomach, until Vegeta passed out.

Vegeta went to school the next day, not because Frieza ordered but because he would've done anything to get out of that house. He made sure to cover his whole body. It was a cold and rainy day, which he was thankful for since he had to wear various layers of clothing and gloves to cover his bruised and bandaged hands... but he soon learned that it had been a poor decision. Simply walking - limping badly - to the bus stop had taken it's toll. The stab wounds were killing him, especially the one on his stomach. He had tried to clean them and put gauze on them but the pain was simply too much... and the welts and cuts from the cane were also putting him through hell. And his hands...

He was horribly dizzy and feverish, and soon began to worry. What if he had an infection?

Bulma sat in the stairs outside the school with Goku. Her eyes were swollen, once again because of incessant crying. She felt like it was her fault. The two friends immediately looked up as Vegeta limped up to the school. The girl covered her mouth with her hand at the sight of him. He was pale and sweaty, in spite of the freezing weather. A big, horrible bruise stood on his face, accompanied with a swollen cut. He was limping, badly, wincing every time he put pressure on one of his legs. His bloodshot eyes drifted to them and pain settled on his features. He attempted to smile, but his cheekbone hurt too much, so he simply looked away as he passed by them climbing the stairs, using all of his willpower not to grunt in pain.

The three of them had first period together.

Vegeta didn't even attempt to take notes. He sat in the back, his hoodie pulled over his head and his hands holding his torso. He couldn't breathe and was sweating profusely, but he felt like he was freezing. Hesitantly, he reached with a shaky hand up to his forehead and closed his eyes with dread. He was burning up. And god his belly was aching...

He sighed shakily before feeling a sudden nauseous leap. Bile rose to his throat and he dry heaved once, covering his mouth with his hand. His stomach clenching filled him with blinding pain and and he scrunched up his face.

The teacher was copying something on the board, so she didn't see him. Goku had, though. And he looked extremely worried.

Vegeta looked away, trying to be strong, but a sudden warmth in his stomach made him pale. He looked down and realised with cold fear that blood was coming out of the cut that Frieza had poked the day before. It had gone through the gauze, his shirt, and was now seeping through his hoodie. Since it was black, he couldn't see it very well, but as he touched it with trembling fingers, he saw the red staining the grey wooden gloves.

"No." he muttered. He immediately raised his hand, wincing as the gash under his ribs pulsated with pain.

"Yes, Vegeta?" the teacher asked, sounding a bit worried.

"I need to go to the bathroom." he said in a choked voice.

"Alright." the teacher answered. She was about to complain when she saw him grabbing his backpack, but shrugged it off. He slowly got up and swiftly made his way to the door. As soon as he was out of the classroom and he closed the door behind himself, he jogged as fast as he could up to the bathroom and barged inside, locking it.

He immediately took his hoodie and shirt off, and noticed with dismay that the gauze was dark red and blood was running down his body, staining his back pants as well. He slowly removed the gauze and shuddered when he saw it, fear filling his body. It was open, seeping blood that was dangerously black. His skin was way too red around the edges and pus was also seeping from it. He swallowed and pulled out paper towels from the dispenser, damping a few towels on the sink before slowly pressing them against the wound. He cried out through clenched teeth as soon as he touched it.

It was incredibly tender.

He gasped a few times and opted to clean around it, which also hurt. But he could see clearly now that there were too many clear liquids seeping from the awful wound. He slowly removed one of his gloves and touched the skin around it with his finger. It was burning, more than his body, and it seemed to be pulsating. A knot formed in his throat. He couldn't have an infection... Frieza wouldn't take him to the hospital and he didn't know if Malaka had enough resources to heal that. He grabbed the paper towel once again and dabbed at the injury, but it was simply too painful and tears rolled down his face.

The wound kept on bleeding and he opened his backpack, looking for more gauze... but the world turned black suddenly and he felt on his knees. Nausea invaded him again and he lowered his head, pressing his forehead against the cold floor. His eyes watched as blood dripped steadily from his stomach and pooled below him.

He jumped as the doorbell rang. As usual, there were various knocks and people trying to force the door open to get in the bathroom, but none could, and soon the halls quieted again as everyone went to their next class.

About five minutes later, someone else knocked, softly.

"Vegeta." Goku's voice said from the door. "Please, open up. You need help."

"Go away!" he said in a shaking voice. Couldn't they see that his whole predicament was because he had been too close to Bulma?

He shook as he shifted his body sideways, lying on the ground in a fetal position. His bandaged hand covered the ruptured skin that kept on weeping.

"Just let me in. There's no one else here, I swear. Nobody can see us." Goku insisted.

"Vegeta, please." Burma's voice said, shaking. "Please open the door. I can help."

Vegeta slowly, very slowly, got onto his feet, and opened the door.

Bulma and Goku gasped, the girl covering her mouth with her hands as they saw him.

He bore even more scars than what Bulma remembered. Horrid welts and crusted cuts blanketed his entire body, leaving very few patches of skin on him. Stitches were also present, all over his body, along with gauze and bandages, and enormous, black bruises extended throughout him. And the open, bleeding, infected cut glared at them... To top it off, they could see his devastated hands, the sweat on his body, the way he shook, how his ribs protruded, broken and fissured.

Bulma broke into tears.

"You've seen me. Now leave." he growled. "I can't take more of this."

"No." Bulma said. "I-I-I knew something would happen, so I brought some medicine from Capsule Corp."

"Do you want to get me killed?" he barked. "If he finds out - "

"He won't find out." Goku said.

Vegeta was about to answer, but nausea gripped him again and his knees buckled. Goku immediately stepped forward, catching him before he fell to the ground. His body shook even more and his eyelids grew impossibly heavy. Goku swallowed as he pulled him over to the wall and sat him down, his upper body resting against the wall. Bulma turned and closed the door, locking it, as she knelt before him.

He groaned and closed his eyes shut.

"What did he use to cause that wound?" Bulma asked shakily.

"A knife." Vegeta answered.

"Why does it look so bad?"

"He poked at it yesterday. I'm guessing he infected it." the boy spat with hatred.

He opened his eyes just in time to see Bulma moving a finger towards it. He jumped and leaned away from her, his eyes wide and terrified.

"Don't." he choked out. "Don't touch it."

"I have an infection-reliever cream." she said softly. "It's new at Capsule Corp. It's supposed to have all sorts of antibiotics and - "

"I said don't touch it." he growled, trying to sit up.

"Who's been healing you?" Goku asked as he saw the stitches.

"Frieza has... some doctor. He comes once a week." Vegeta explained. A small choked noise of pain came out from the back of his throat and his eyes watered.

"We-we-we need to-to clean it." Bulma stuttered, terrified as the wound kept on spurting and Vegeta's skin grew paler by the minute. She couldn't stand to see the horrid welts either.

"I said don't touch it." he said, his voice hoarse.

Goku took out a bottle of water from his bag and gave it to Vegeta, who raised a shaky hand, but he couldn't wrapped his destroyed hand around the bottle. He had a sudden flashback of the day Frieza had helped him drink and he shuddered, looking away. Goku, however, ignored is reaction and helped him drink. The boy drank greedily and thankfully, his raw throat feeling soothed. Bulma placed a cold hand on his forehead, under his bangs and he sighed softly.

When half the bottle was empty, Goku put it aside and Bulma got up, grabbing a few paper towels and drenching them with water before walking back to Vegeta and cleaning his face, avoiding his bruised cheekbone.

"I know it hurts but it will help you." she said softly.

Vegeta's eyes blinked dizzily and heavily.

"I can't be seen with you." he said softly, almost deliriously.

"Nobody will see us. We checked before we came here. The hall was empty."

"Frieza has eyes and ears everywhere." he said, closing his eyes and swallowing painfully. "He'll call the doctor. I'll be fine."

"No." Bulma sobbed. "We're together in this. That man is killing you and I won't let him."

She grabbed one of the damp towels and lightly touched the cut with it, but Vegeta immediately went into hysterics, his body writhing at the horrid pain that flooded his entire body. Goku tried to hold his shoulders down as Bulma, crying loudly, cleaned the bloodied wound. It kept on bleeding, though.

"Stop, please, please." Vegeta begged, his mind drifting away. "Please, please."

"It's alright." Bulma said softly. "It's alright, Vegeta."

She wanted to take him home so that he could rest. He looked so exhausted and full of pain. She cleaned her tears and tried to think of something to distract him, like she did when they hung out together and he looked sad.

"I-I was in the girl's bathroom yesterday," she said "and Maroon and a few of her friends were there." she watched as Vegeta's eyes slowly opened and his pupils focused on her. "She was talking about you. She was saying how you had been hitting on her a lot on vacations but now you were a bit distant because you wanted to give her space." she forced a small giggle. "She was saying that you two were meant to be together and," she took the infection relieving cream out and slowly squirted some onto her fingers, "that you were just a lone ranger."

A weak smile tugged at Vegeta's lips, but it soon vanished as Bulma touched the wound again, spreading the cream, and tried not to cry as Goku put his own hoodie between his teeth to muffle his screams, and held him down.

"Gosh." the palm haired boy said as he watched the blood spurt in rivers and the way Vegeta squirmed. "This looks bad."

"It shouldn't hurt this much to just touch it." Bulma said softly, tears still coursing down her face.

After a few minutes, Vegeta finally passed out.

Bulma cleaned the wound as well as she could and applies as much cream as she dared. She also cleaned the welts and gashes.

"We need to go." Goku said softly as Bulma put a new gauze on the horrid gash. It had taken them almost two hours, but it wasn't bleeding as much.

"We can't leave him here." she sobbed.

"We can't be seen together and if we last longer they'll start suspecting, if they haven't yet." Goku said. "He's Vegeta. He'll be fine. I know it."

Bulma sobbed as she put all of her healing creams, ointments, alcohol, painkillers and gauze in his backpack. She kissed his forehead softly and got up. Goku hugged her and they walked outside.

* * *

"Any reports?" Frieza asked, lighting his cigarette.

Jeice smiled.

"He disobeyed you." he said. There rest of his gang smiled as well.

"Really, now?"

"Yeah. Kakkarot and Bulma got into the bathroom with him and they spent hours in there, just the three of 'em. They were obviously talking, hanging around, I suspect they were even healing him because he didn't look as bad as he walked in." Jeice answered.

"They're such fools." Buster hissed.

Frieza smiled and cracked his knuckles, laughing evilly.

"Indeed, they are." he said. "I have another job for you, guys. Get me the Briefs girl. You know where to take her. I'll take care of Vegeta."

* * *

 _Uh-oh._


	25. Chapter 25

_"There's nothing you can give her."_

 _"You don't have anything."_

 _"Why do you want to take it all away from her?"_

 _"You can't give her anything but misery, and you know it."_

 _Vegeta watched as Bulma stood in front of him. Her face lacked emotion. She was standing still, not even looking at him. He walked up to her, nervously, and tried to touch her face but she stepped back. Her blue eyes finally landed on his face._

 _"Stay away from me." she said. "Your life is a train wreck, and I don't want to be dragged into it."_

 _Vegeta's eyes widened and he tried to answer, but he couldn't. No sound came out of his mouth and Bulma turned away from him._

 _"You can't give me anything. I will be the heir of Capsule Corp and you'll always be Frieza's little slave. You don't have a family and now you don't even have me."_

 _A knot formed in his throat and Bulma's shape slowly disappeared into darkness. Frieza appeared in the spot and Vegeta stepped back, terrified._

 _"I told you nobody would ever love you."_

Vegeta woke up with a gasp.

He was still on the bathroom floor. He screwed his eyes shut as pain invaded him and he tried to breathe. He slowly remembered how Bulma and Goku had found him and healed him, and he was somewhat disappointed that they had left, but he knew it was for the best. He looked down at the infected cut and noticed with relief that it had stopped bleeding and the redness around it had lessened. He slowly got up, groaning and gasping with the effort, and put his shirt and sweater back on, before exiting the bathroom.

* * *

When he got to his house, it was extremely quiet.

There were no maids, no businessmen talking to Frieza in the dining room... nothing. But it wasn't just any silence. Vegeta could sense that something was wrong. His body tensed in anticipation as he slowly walked to the stairs.

He suddenly sensed someone behind him and barely had time to turn around before punch sank into his belly.

"How was your day, Vegeta?" Frieza asked as he watched Vegeta fall to his knees. "Something you'd like to share with me?"

Vegeta's eyes widened and he looked up at Frieza.

"N-no." he said. He slowly got back on his feet and looked away as Frieza's eyes followed his every move. The man crossed his arms.

"My sweet Vegeta," he said softly, sending chills down Vegeta's spine. "What have I told you about LYING!" he screamed the last word as he punched Vegeta in the face. The boy stumbled but didn't fall to the floor. "I have eyes and ears everywhere."

Vegeta glared at him. He was truly surprised at himself. He was scared, obviously, but he didn't think rage could still boil inside of him like that.

"I told them to stay away." he said. Frieza's eyes widened at how stable his voice sounded. No stuttering, no trembling, no apologetic tone. "They wanted to heal me and I told them to stay away from me, but I was too weak to walk away or even move from the spot thanks to the wound you infected with your stupid poking."

"Oooh... I see your spirit is back." Frieza said. "Finally. I thought I had broken you for good. Are you finally bouncing back up from that week of torment?"

Vegeta swallowed as he remembered it. He shuddered and closed his eyes but the rage was still there. He hadn't felt rage like that since before he had escaped Frieza, and it gave him some sort of energy... He opened his eyes again and clenched his fists.

"If you're going to punish me, get it over with. You and I both know that after these past few weeks there's a slim chance that I'll survive." he growled.

Frieza crossed his arms and stared curiously at Vegeta. It was odd, the way he was acting. He was fighting back, from the way he glared at Frieza and how his body tensed with anger... but his words sounded like he was giving up. It was confusing but also extremely frustrating. He wanted to see Vegeta cry in fear like he did when he was eleven-years-old... or at least just cry in pain. He smiled.

"I'm glad you have a fighting spirit. You'll need it where we're going."

"What?"

"Your girlfriend is waiting for you and, from what I gather, she's not very happy."

Vegeta's eyes widened.

"What did you do to her?" he asked in a whisper.

"Nothing, yet."

"Where is she?! !" he shouted, his fists clenching and his lip curling up in rage.

Frieza laughed.

"I told you you'd bring her misery, Vegeta. I told you I'd hurt her if you continued disobeying." the man said, walking closer to Vegeta.

"Where the fuck is she?" Vegeta growled, his whole body trembling in rage. Pain and fear seemed to be forgotten.

Frieza launched a fist at his face and, surprisingly, Vegeta blocked it with his forearm. Frieza frowned and decided to act quickly. He grabbed his broken hand and squeezed, making Vegeta scream in agony. Small cracks came out of his hand as Frieza squeezed harder, forcing him onto his knees, and soon blood dripped down their hands. Vegeta, in desperation, tried to reach with his other hand and push Frieza away, but the monster grabbed it as well and did the same, squeezing until it cracked even more and blood came out of it. Vegeta's raw throat screamed in a high pitch, his eyes closed shut and his body squirming to get away from the torturous hold.

After a few minutes, Frieza crashed his knee against the boy's forehead, making him pass out.

* * *

Bulma had never been so scared in her entire life.

On her way home, someone had grabbed her from behind, covered her face with a bag and thrown her into a car. She had screamed and writhed as she felt hands grabbing her wrists and ankles. Finally, something hard slammed against the side of her head and she was rendered unconscious.

She had woken up with a horrid headache, tied to a chair in a dark room. She had screamed and shouted for help, but nobody heard.

She had cried in absolute fear, too.

Finally, the sound of a door opening reached her ears. The light from outside filtered into the room and she saw two tall silhouettes, and from what she could gather, they were men. Her fear intensified.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" she shouted, terrified. "My father will have you thrown in jail for the rest of your lives if you don't let me go!"

The men laughed and closed the door, shutting them in darkness again.

Then, they switched on the light.

Bulma almost peed herself.

The room was horrible. It was empty except for thee shelf stacked with torture devices and the chains hanging from the ceiling. It reminded her of Frieza's basement, which she had seen in the pictures on Christmas. The men before her were extremely weird as well. One of them was gigantic, extremely buff and big. He had a tuft of orange hair on his head. The other one was smaller, with long, white hair on his head. They had evil smiles on their faces and Bulma cowered.

"Your threats don't scares us, love." the white-haired man said, smiling.

"Yeah, shut up." the other one said.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she breathed in fear. Her eyes darted quickly to the torture weapons and she squirmed in fear. Would they use those on her? The men didn't answer and she closed her eyes shut, trying not to start crying again.

A car pulling over was heard outside. She swallowed as the door slammed and footsteps approached.

The door opened. She gasped, her eyes widening and a new wave of fear assaulting her.

Frieza walked inside, smiling evilly at her.

"Mrs. Briefs." he said. He turned to his men. "Recoome, he's in the car. Bring him in, would you?"

"Kay." Recoome said, his stupid voice full of glee.

Frieza slowly walked closer to Bulma, making her squirm and writhe to try to get away from her bonds. The man clasped his hands behind his back and smiled down at her, his face irradiating evil. Bulma glared at him, wishing there weren't teartracks on her face.

"What the hell do you want?" she growled.

"Well, look at that fire. I see why Vegeta took a liking to you."

Not a moment too soon, Recoome barged back into the room, carrying Vegeta over his shoulder. He walked up to the center of the room and unceremoniously dropped him on the floor. He groaned, but didn't awaken fully. Bulma gasped and tried to lean forward, but her wrists and shoulders hurt with the simple action. There was blood on his temple and on his hands.

"Vegeta." she said softly. "What did you do to him?"

"Did he tell you about the new rules I imposed on him?" Frieza said. He turned around and walked over to Vegeta's fallen body. "He can't talk to you or his friend Kakkarot. And he disobeyed. _Twice._ " the monster said. "Although I reckon the second time was sort of your fault. He tried to explain to me how he couldn't move yet you still walked over to him."

"Leave him alone." she said in a choked voice. "Haven't you done enough already?"

"It's never enough with Vegeta." Frieza said. "That time he tried to defend you from that guy, I really tried to make him regret it. He directly broke my rule. So, you see, I hammered his hands until he begged and cried like there was no tomorrow. I hammered until all of his fingers were pointing in different directions and all of the bones were cracked. And I also hit him with a hammer in the face. I think I cracked his cheekbone. Do you see it?" He used his foot to turn Vegeta's face, showing the injury on his face. Bulma had already seen it up close when she was healing him in the bathroom, but it didn't make things better. "Then I stabbed him continuously. You should've seen how he screamed. One of them got infected because I sank my finger into it the next day until he passed out. And I also hit him with a cane, everywhere. You saw the welts, didn't you? You cleaned them up... I think Vegeta couldn't do it very well because he couldn't use his hands."

Bulma tried not to show any emotion. She knew Frieza was just playing games with her head... but a tear still escaped one of her eyes as she imagined the horrible torment Frieza had put him through. And all because of her...

"But then he disobeyed again. My spies saw you. I have eyes and ears everywhere, you see. So now... This calls for a much more extreme punishment. One he from which can't heal and that will accompany him for the rest of his life." Frieza said. Bulma's eyes widened when she realised that he meant... her. He would hurt her.

She couldn't dwell on it very much as Frieza sank his foot into Vegeta's stomach. The pain jolted him awake with a gasp, his eyes wide.

At first, he thought he was in the basement, but the room was too wide. He frowned and put a hand on his forehead, which hurt horribly. He clenched his eyes shut as pain slowly spread through his body from the incessant amount of injuries on it.

"Rise and shine, my dear Vegeta. Welcome to my cabin in the woods." Frieza's cold voice said. He jerked and opened his eyes again. He didn't recognise his surroundings, even though they were extremely similar to the basement. He slowly sat up, his body shaking. And then a flash of blue caught the corner of his eye. He gasped and turned to see Bulma strapped to a chair. His eyes widened and he whirled around to look at Frieza.

"What is she doing here?" he growled. The rage he had felt before returned full-force.

"I told you. You'd end up hurting her. And after her... I'll go after your siblings."

He got up, swallowing his pain, even if the infected wound on his stomach screamed, and glared at Frieza.

"Don't touch her or the kids." He growled. "This is between you and me."

"No, my dear boy." Frieza said. "It isn't."

He stepped closer to Vegeta and before the boy could react, he sank a fist into his stomach. He doubled over and gasped in pain, but Frieza punched his face where he had hammered him before. A burst of horrid pain spread all though his face and Vegeta screamed, stumbling backwards as he held his cheekbone. Then the man grabbed his wrists and sank his knee repeatedly into his stomach, until Vegeta coughed blood and his knees buckled under him.

Frieza let him fall onto his knees as he hacked up blood and grabbed his torso with his hands.

"Stop!" Bulma shouted, tears running down her face. "Leave him alone, please."

Frieza laughed.

"I could say the same thing to you." he joked. His men laughed. "Jeice, Recoome, hold him up."

The two men walked over to Vegeta and each grabbed one his arms, pulling him up. Vegeta groaned and coughed more blood. His body was too weak. He wouldn't withstand much more. If Frieza decided to actually torture him, he wouldn't last very long... He didn't want Bulma to see him like that. His thoughts dissipated, though, as Frieza easily ripped his shirt off of him and without hesitation, removed the gauze from the infected cut. Vegeta opened his eyes to glare at him.

Frieza put his hand on his chest and curled it, his nails digging into the ruptured skin and horrid injuries. He dragged it down, scratching the welts, gashes, cuts, and bruises and creating new bloodied lines of Vegeta's skin, making him scream and writhe as he tried to escape. Bulma could only cry.

When Frieza's hand finally reached the infected cut, he sank his finger into it, without hesitation. Vegeta's voice reached a horribly high pitch as he screamed loudly. He writhed desperately in the men's hold as he shrieked. After a few minutes, there was a loud pop from one of his shoulders dislocating.

"No! Don't! It's infected! You'll only make it worse!" Bulma sobbed. "Please, leave him alone."

Frieza pulled his finger out for a moment, letting Vegeta catch his breath, before he plunged it back in and laughed as Vegeta screamed again. After a moment, his screams broke into uncontrolled sobs. He gagged and Frieza stepped back just in time before Vegeta threw up. His body shook and sweat broke throughout his body. He was far too weakened... He could feel himself dying. He swallowed and his eyes slowly opened and he caught sight of Bulma crying and writhing in her chair.

"Let go of me." he said, softly. His throat was horribly raw and the sobs just made it worse.

A fist crashed against the side of his torso, and various cracks echoed throughout the room. Vegeta cried out and coughed more blood.

"His ribs are already broken." Bulma sobbed. "Please, you'll kill him."

Frieza turned to smile at her briefly, before he turned back around and grabbed Vegeta's face with both hands, and head butted him, hard. Vegeta shouted, the gash on his forehead getting worse. Then, he kicked his lower leg, right above his ankle, with a lot of strength. Another crack echoed as Vegeta's ankle broke.

He stepped back and crossed his arms.

"I think it's her turn now." he said softly. Bulma tensed, her eyes wide.

A low growl emanated from Vegeta's chest and his rage burnt again inside of him like a million suns. He opened his eyes and glared at Frieza so hard, the man was truly taken aback, his eyes widening minutely.

"Don't you dare put a single finger on her." he growled. "Leave her alone, you fucking bastard."

"Why would I?" Frieza said, recovering from his shock. He walked over to the shelf with torture weapons and looked over at them. "Do you think I should whip her? Cane her? Maybe hammer her hands as well or burn her."

"Listen to me, you bastard." Vegeta growled. His eyes were molten with rage. "I will never submit to you. I will never obey you. And if you put a finger on her, I will take you down and tear you limb by limb. You think you're unmerciful and cruel? Put a finger on her and I'll show you unmerciful and cruel. Let. Her. Go."

Frieza glared at him for a moment.

"Jeice, Recoome. Go get the kids." he said.

They threw Vegeta to the ground. He fell on his hands and knees and immediately got up. He couldn't stand up straight and his body was shaking badly, and he had to put all of his weight on his good ankle, but he still glared at Frieza. The two men laughed and walked out the door.

A car engine was heard and then... just silence.

"Have you forgotten a few weeks ago already? Maybe I should tie you back up and leave you there for a whole month." Frieza said after a moment. "Or... maybe I should do that to her."

Vegeta growled. He tried to give a step forward but the pain on his ankle stopped him.

"What are you gonna do, Vegeta?" Frieza asked, clearly amused. "You can't go very far like that."

He finally made up his mind and grabbed a gun. Both of the teenager's eyes widened in fear and despair. Frieza, however, turned his gun towards Vegeta.

And he fired.

The bullet went into his upper leg and he screamed, falling onto his knees.

"STOP! Why are you doing this?" Bulma screamed.

That seemed to click something in Frieza and he lowered the gun, sighing as a smile spread through his face. He craned his neck around as if he were tense and put his hands behind his back, walking over to Bulma. He slowly circled around her, making her tense as he still held the gun in his hand. She swallowed and tried to keep her eyes on him, but every time he went behind her, she felt horribly scared. Vegeta's gasps and moans of pain greatly upset her, too.

"Let me tell you both a story." he said. "When I was younger, me and his father absolutely hated each other. We were fighting all the time. Oh, god, I absolutely despised him... Then we grew up and each of us built a company. Ouji vs. Kold Enterprises, the old story. Two rival enterprises that kept trying to bring the other one down all the time. We were always on the news. It was also quite adorable, Bulma, how your dad would try to appease things when they got too bad. Good old dr. Briefs and his Capsule Corporation..." he laughed and finally stopped beside Bulma. He looked at the gun and seemed to examine it as he continued talking. "After years of rivalry, I realised that I'd never be at the top if Ouji Enterprises was there... So I tried to strike a deal with my dear step-brother.

"Naturally, he refused. I tried to do everything... Bribe him, threaten him... But the Oujis are way too hard-headed. Aren't you, Vegeta?" he said, looking down at the boy who was trying to cover his heavily bleeding gun injury with his destroyed hands. "So I went to the next best option. I killed him."

Vegeta's head snapped up, his eyes and mouth wide open.

"What?" he said shakily. "You - what?"

He couldn't believe it. He had always suspected that Frieza had been involved but... To straight up confess? That was... It was...

"Well, I didn't actually pull the trigger, but I hired the guy who did. And I was there... I promised him that I would make his bloodline suffer horribly. That means you." he said. "And then I hid all evidence, falsified the will... and left you and your poor little family with absolutely nothing. Of course, throwing you out into the street wouldn't be enough. I wanted to see you suffer. You are the spitting image of your dad and seeing you cry and beg is so... satisfying. I didn't know that at first, until you moved into my house. I knew I just had to see you writhe in horrid agony.

"Just to see what she'd do, I told your mother that I wanted to start beating you, so that you wouldn't turn out like your father. Of course, the first thing that crossed her mind was that she would leave and take you with her. So I told her to leave. I told her that I would kill the three of you before her very eyes if she stayed or returned. And I told her that if she ever made contact with you, took you in, talked to you, called you, visited you... anything, I would torture and kill the three of you. You can't imagine how many times she called after you visited her and begged her to take you in. She begged me to let you live with her, to stop tormenting you like that, to leave you alone. She constantly offered to return, to be the target of my rage instead of you... It was so touching. She loves you so much Vegeta. It's cute. Of course, you wouldn't know that. The emotional distress that you went through when you thought she had abandoned you was... delicious."

Vegeta felt his world crumbling down. Coldness invaded his body, clawed at his soul and mind. How had he been so blind? Frieza hadn't given her any other choice. She wasn't afraid of Frieza hurting her, she was afraid of Frieza hurting Trunks and Tarble as well and ultimately killing the three of them. Tears sprang to his eyes. Bulma saw Vegeta's eyes glistening, his face pale, his throat bobbing up and down as he tried to choke his sobs back. He looked so distraught, so dejected...

"It was all you." he said softly, his eyes wide and lost. He felt insanity eating at him from the inside and his body shook harder.

Frieza laughed and walked closer to him. When he was right in front of him, he grabbed his hair and pulled his head back so that they were looking at each other in the eye.

"I will always be there to take everything away. Every little thing that makes you happy, I'll destroy it before your very eyes. Your father, your mother, your inheritance, your future... your girlfriend. Your siblings are next. And your friends next. I will never stop." he said cruelly. "Or maybe I will... when I kill you once and for all."

But Vegeta didn't seem to be listening. His pupils shook.

And then, like an erupting volcano, rage burst inside Vegeta. It burnt him. His body shook with it. His face went from numb, to insane all of a sudden.

He jumped to his feet, his pain absolutely forgotten. He jumped at Frieza, screaming in rage. The action was so sudden that Frieza didn't even have time to step back. Their bodies crashed loudly and Frieza fell backwards on the floor. The gun fell from his hand and skidded across the ground. Vegeta, still screaming in both rage and pain, his body convulsing, beat his fists against Frieza's face. The man cried out in pain for a few seconds before he reacted and punched Vegeta's face, making him roll away from him onto the floor.

He shook but got onto his feet. The leg that had the gunshot and broken ankle felt completely numb and he hurled himself at Frieza again, but this time the man was prepared. He got on his feet as well and cleaned the blood from his mouth. Vegeta began sent a barrage of fists and kicks in Frieza's direction, his Martial Arts skills finally showing. Frieza had a hard time keeping him at bay, and the simple act of blocking his attacks left him no time to attack himself... That is, until Vegeta fell back on his injured foot and lost balance. Frieza immediately grabbed his hand and squeezed, jabbing a finger into his infected wound and making him scream, all pain returning to him. Before Vegeta could grab him again, he sank his fist into the boys stomach. Vegeta fell on his knees gasping as blood dripped from his lips. Frieza growled and kicked him in the side of the torso, a crack resonating as he rolled around the floor. He coughed blood again and shook as Frieza approached him again. Bulma was screaming, telling Frieza to leave him alone... But Frieza was seeing red.

He grabbed Vegeta's head and slammed it against the ground, making him cry out as the back of his head cracked open. Then a fist sank into his face. Frieza punched his left cheek, then the right, then his temples, his nose, his forehead. Vegeta couldn't move. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain spurted back into his body. His leg, his torso, his face... God, his face.

He choked and screamed as Frieza didnt relent. One of his rapidly swelling eyes caught the bastard's face. He had never seen Frieza like that.

He was extremely enraged. He looked insane. Horribly insane. And then Vegeta knew... Frieza was going to kill him.

He wouldn't control himself anymore.

His eye travelled sideways and he caught sight of the gun. In his insanity, Freiza had forgotten it... And it was just within arm's reach. But his vision was getting darker by the second... He stretched his arm as Frieza continued beating his face, screaming in rage as Vegeta screamed in pain. He closed his eyes shut and touched around with his hand, but he couldn't find it.

He was dying.

Some sort of peaceful numbness suddenly gripped his mind as the fist connected again with his temple.

He was going to die.

And at least he wouldn't suffer anymore.

His vision turned completely white. His body slackened. His screams stopped. His eyes closed.

His mind stopped.

Frieza punched him a few more times before he realised that Vegeta wasn't moving or screaming anymore.

He looked dead. He had killed him.

Vegeta was dead.

Bulma realised it too and a scream broke through her mouth. She writhed in her bonds and tears coursed down her face. Sobs ripped through her body. She screamed and wailed.

"You killed him! You killed him!" she kept repeating over and over.

Frieza got up from the floor and straightened up before turning around and glaring at Bulma. He huffed and combed his hair with his hands, straightened his tie and pulled on his blazer before walking over to her, an evil smile replacing the insane rage. Bulma shook as she cried unconsolably.

"Now, what should I do with you?" he growled. "Maybe tor-"

 _BANG!_

The gunshot echoed off the walls and Bulma closed her eyes shut as the sound rang in her ears. She opened them again a second later, just to see Frieza standing there with his eyes wide. He stood there for a long moment before falling on his knees and coughing up blood.

Vegeta, who was swaying behind him, and holding the gun in trembling hands, smiled.

"See you in Hell, you fucking bastard." he growled, before firing at his head, effectively killing him.

Bulma watched with wide eyes as Frieza's upper body fell forward. His suit and the back of his head were covered in blood that kept spurting up. She wanted to puke.

Vegeta also fell to his knees, dropping the gun, and did just that. Blood hurled from his mouth and he screamed as his raw throat received more damage and his stomach heaved.

"Vegeta." Bulma sobbed.

He looked up at her from eyes nearly swollen shut and filled with pain. He slowly crawled over to her, trying not to put too much pressure on his dislocated arm and wounded leg. When he was close to her, he undid the knots on her wrists and ankles, freeing her. She immediately dropped to her knees next to him and embraced him. He rested his face on her neck and wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped hers around his neck and cried unconsolably as she caressed his hair. Her hand got stained with the blood that matted it but she didn't care. Her eyes darted briefly to Frieza's dead body, as if he would get up any second and attack them. She now knew how Vegeta felt: Frieza did seem invincible.

But Vegeta had won.

"He's gone." she whispered soothingly. "You're free."

His body slackened as he passed out.

Bulma held him, feeling relieved that she could feel his hot breath on her neck and the beating of his heart. He was alive... for now. She slowly laid him on his back and took her phone out of her pocket. Recoome and Jeice were indeed idiots. They hadn't taken her phone away from her or even checked if she had one. She slowly dialled her father's number.

 _"Hello, sweetie? Where are you? Your mother and I are - "_

"Daddy." she said, sobbing. "There are two men going to get Tarble and Trunks. They are Frieza's men. You need to keep them safe. Also... I need you to pick me and Vegeta up. Urgently. He is in a very bad state. Worse than that night... Bring the cops, too."

* * *

Bulma sat at the back of the ambulance, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. A nurse was cleaning the injury on her temple. Tears kept coursing down her face from the shock, but she wasn't sobbing anymore. Dr. Briefs and a few others were examining Vegeta's body, trying to stop the urgent bleeding before moving him to the ambulance. Some cops were taking pictures of Frieza's body, measuring the area, taking notes...

Her father had brought Trunks and Tarble along, just to make sure they were safe, but they were fast asleep inside the car. They couldn't see Vegeta's state.

Bodyguards were also all around them. Her father had taken a lot of precautions.

She looked down at her wrists, which were chaffed and welted from the rope. She hoped it wouldn't leave scars.

Her eyes landed on Vegeta again and she realised that her father was walking over to her, cleaning his hands with a towel. He sighed and sat next to her.

"He is very injured, but he'll make it." the doctor said. "We'll transport him to Capsule Corporation right now."

"Okay." she said softly, her voice choked.

"Bulma," the doctor said. "He's free. With Frieza gone, nobody will follow him now. Arresting his men will be very easy, and all of the people he blackmailed and bribed will rise up and speak against Frieza. Vegeta is free now. Truly free."

Bulma burst into sobs again, but they were happy sobs. She knew it.

Vegeta was free.

* * *

 _I hoped you liked this chapter guys. A lot of you have been asking for this._

 _Don't miss the next (and last) chapter of Broken Glass._


	26. Chapter 26

_He felt like he was floating._

 _There was nothing around him. Everything was black, but it wasn't unsettling. It was incredibly soothing and peaceful. He floated through the sea of black and felt nothing on his body. There was no fear and no pain. No despair. No anger. No depression. Just peace and tranquility that he had never felt before. He had never been so calm... He suddenly wanted to be there forever. He didn't want to go back._

 _"Oh, but you have to." a familiar voice said, softly. "Your siblings need you. Bulma needs you. Your mother needs you."_

 _He remembered then and a small ray of light seemed to seep through the darkness._

 _"I'm so proud of you, my son." the voice said as he approached the light. "I've always been and always will be."_

Vegeta took a deep breath as he woke up.

He was incredibly sore, but not in a horrid amount of pain, so he simply groaned. He could hear a machine beeping next to him and someone gasped.

"Vegeta." a voice said.

He slowly opened his eyes. The blurry images slowly focused. He was in a hospital room, judging by the white walls and ceiling, the machines around him, the TV on a corner below the ceiling and the attached bathroom with a hospital gown hanging from the wall. He slowly looked around and saw Bulma sitting next to him, a small bandaid on her temple and her eyes swollen and red, from crying no doubt. On his other side, was Kakkarot, smiling at him eagerly. Dr. Brief was in the corner, his arms crossed and a big smile on his face as he looked at him. Vegeta took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, a small stab of pain on his torso but nothing like what he had felt the days before. Then, he looked down at himself.

Needles on his arms and hands, and his boy enveloped in clean gauze. No blood, no sweat, no open wounds... It had been so long. A thin, white sheet covered him from below his pectorals. An oxygen mask was strapped to his face. He sighed and looked up at Bulma again.

"Hey." she said softly. "You're finally awake."

He smiled slightly, but didn't say anything. His throat was sore.

"You gave us quite a scare. The doctors said you might not make it... But you did, like you always do." Goku said.

"My boy," Dr. Briefs said. He walked closer to them and sat at the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." he said, his voice hoarse. Bulma grabbed a glass of water from a table behind her and slipped the straw through his mask. He sipped thankfully.

"You are." the doctor answered. "As Goku said, you were in a really bad state. The infection was extremely dangerous, but we have it under control. And the damage your face received was very worrying... You've been unconscious for more than two days."

Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed. Bulma removed the water and left it behind her again.

"Really?" Vegeta asked, his voice a little less hoarse.

"Yes... but you're great now. We got rid of the infection and now you just have to rest to let the other injuries heal. You're very brave."

"How are Trunks and Tarble?" he asked suddenly, remembering how Recoome and Jeice had gone looking for them.

"They're safe. My mom is with them. I'll call her to tell her to bring them." Bulma said, smiling widely. Vegeta nodded and she got up, calling her mom. She could tell that her father wanted to be alone with Vegeta so she motioned for Goku to follow her.

"What happened... after I passed out?" Vegeta asked once they were alone.

"Bulma called me. She told me to get the kids to safety and to go pick you up with police and an ambulance." he said. "When we got there, Bulma was trying to stop the bleeding on your leg from the gunshot and from the back of your head... Fortunately your siblings didn't see any of it. It was bad, but then everything turned good. You can't imagine what's been happening in these two days. Frieza's men are being arrested by the minute. Most of them are confessing. Old Enterprises is going downhill pretty fast. A lot of people are speaking out in your defence... There won't even be a trial for murder. As far as everyone is concerned, you're a country hero. And most important of all: You're safe. No one will come looking for you."

Vegeta closed his eyes. It felt unreal... Like a dream from which he would soon wake up. It had happened before, that he dreamt about Frieza dying. A part of him didn't believe it.

"Thank you." he said simply, not knowing what else to say. He opened his eyes as Dr. Briefs put a hand on his shoulder, softly.

"You'll be fine." he said. "And... someone's here to see you. I'll tell her she can come in."

Vegeta's eyes widened as his mother walked inside as soon as Dr. Briefs left.

"Mom?" he said softly.

Her eyes watered as she saw him and she made her way to the chair next to his bed, sitting down.

"Oh, my sweet son." she said in a choked voice, grabbing his bandaged hand with both of hers. "How are you feeling?"

"I-I... I'm fine." he said, still dumbfounded.

"Listen," she said, lowering her eyes as tears rolled down her face."I understand if you don't want me here and if you want me to leave I will. I just came here to say that I'm very, very proud of you, and I love you."

"I don't want you to leave." he answered, his voice soft and low. He looked away as she snapped her head up to look at him. "Frieza told me everything. I - Mom, I should've known. I just believed what Frieza told me... and..."

"Vegeta," she whispered. He looked at her. "Frieza had a way of making people believe him. You just have to know that I'm very, very sorry for being such a horrid mother and I don't deserve your forgiveness - "

"You didn't have a choice." Vegeta said.

"- And I want you to know that I'm very proud of you. I always have been and always will be." she continued. She smiled slightly at him. "I have no right to be a part of your new life, but if you allow me, I want to be. Dr. Briefs said he'll take you in, of course, if you want to... But if you want to, I'd love to take the three of you in again, make up for my mistakes and - and - show you that I love you more than life itself." her voice broke at the last sentence.

Exhaustion washed over Vegeta suddenly. He remembered how Capsule Corp medicines were very effective but also very tiring and took their tool very quickly. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. He wanted to forgive his mother. He loved her. He always remembered how caring and nurturing she was, and he knew that it had never been her fault. He knew she'd take great care of Trunks and Tarble, and him as well... but the dark part of him that kept on doubting everything and telling him that it was unreal and that everything Frieza had said had been true, kept on replaying flashbacks of her turning him down when he was in the worst moments of his life.

He heard as small sob beside him and turned to look at her, his eyelids heavy.

"I forgive you, and I love you, too." he said. "But I... I'll have to think about it."

She smiled slightly at him, and kissed his forehead.

"I'll let you rest." she said, her voice shaky. He smiled up at her.

"Mom, I really do forgive you. It was never your fault." he said.

* * *

Vegeta got out of the hospital after a long time.

The internal injuries had been extremely bad, and the continuous assault on his body had left it with very weak defences and energy. Even though he had woken up feeling fine, the infection kept on reappearing, his body sometimes turned unresponsive to medicine and the wounds were extremely hard to heal. Besides, the constant nightmares he got were horrendous. The abuse Frieza had put him through after he had escaped had been extremely bad, and the nightmares were just as violent, making him scream and writhe around, alway reopening his injuries and ripping needles from his arms. It made the job much harder on the doctors who always had to rush into Vegeta's room to wake him up and heal him again. No amount of sleeping medicine kept his tortured mind away from the memories.

But finally, his body was healthy enough so that he could go home.

And he had decided to move in with his mother, just to give her a chance.

Trunks and Tarble got used to her very quickly. She was very loving, after all, and they were extremely glad to have Vegeta living with them again. Sooner than he expected, he formed a bond with his mother that he never imagined he could have back. She was very good to him; she'd be there when he had nightmares, waking him up and comforting him even when he didn't want to. She would make him snacks and warm milk even if it was 4 a.m. in the morning just to soothe him. He found himself truly opening up to her after a few days, telling her some of the worst experiences he had suffered just like he had told Bulma.

Living with the adult version of Vegeta for years had taught Raniya how to deal with emotionally crippled men, and even though Vegeta's traumas and uncontrollable anger were a challenge, she slowly learned how to deal with them and help him back to be psychologically stable.

Bulma also visited him every day, and she was one of the main factors to help his mind go back to full recovery. She also knew how to comfort him and make him happy.

Vegeta Sr.'s real will was found a month after Frieza's death. He had made various copies, knowing he had dangerous enemies, and soon, Ouji Enterprises went back to Vegeta and Raniya, and she wasted no time in removing all traces of Frieza's presence from it and running it the way Vegeta Sr. had always wanted.

They moved to a mansion close to Capsule Corp, and the families often visited each other, Raniya and Mrs. Briefs becoming friends very quickly.

Vegeta and Bulma became official, and of course, it was a huge blast at school.

Maroon and Yamcha and everyone else became extremely jealous and would try to bring them down, but they weren't King and Queen of school for nothing. Together, they were invincible, and very much in love. And very, very happy. Nothing stood in their way anymore. Vegeta's grades went back to their highest, he went back to being Captain of the Football Team and Head of Martial Arts, and his life turned around. He was finally happy.

One night, a year after the incident, Vegeta found himself in another nightmare.

 _His shoulders and wrists were on fire. His whole body was racked in so much pain he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't force his body to stop shaking and his sobs and tears to stop._

 _He didn't know how much time had passed, but it had to be less than a day and Frieza had already been so brutal with him... He had used everything already. His skin was ripped to shreds, bloodied and bruised and welted where there weren't gaping wounds. His ribs were shattered, all of them, and his sternum and clavicle as well. He could feel it, and if he opened his eyes he could see them against his skin. Every breath was torture, and when he coughed it hurt so much he saw stars and white dots in his vision._

 _His arms and legs had also been devastated, broken and twisted out of place, which only made things worse when the torture got so bad his body jerked and twisted around to try to escape it. But... Frieza was still laughing. His head was so disoriented he couldn't hear very well and couldn't spot where Frieza was, and he didn't want to open his eyes, but he did know that Frieza was laughing and that meant that he wasn't done. Not by a long shot. He shuddered at the thought. He was so scared... He tried to think of Bulma. At least the heartache distracted him from everything. He tried to think of her and how much he actually loved her._

 _"Look at me when I'm talking to you." Frieza said, clearly amused. "I have a present for you."_

 _Vegeta opened his eyes, only because Frieza catching him by surprise with more pain terrified him. He couldn't help it. Oh, but he wished he hadn't._

 _His heart went into overdrive. His eyes widened and his body shook harder._

 _The electrocution device._

 _"No." he whispered. "No, no, no."_

 _"Yes, yes, yes." Frieza said sadistically. He wasted no time in placing the pads on his temples and on his stomach, laughing as Vegeta instinctively tried to pull away._

 _"Please, please. Not this. Please." he pleaded. He was so scared he couldn't even think straight. His body was shaking too much in fear. He could still remember the pain the device could cause. It haunted most of his nightmares. "Please, anything but this."_

 _Frieza laughed and took out the controller, twiddling it in his fingers and making Vegeta tense in absolute terror._

 _"You should've never left." He said._

 _Vegeta opened his mouth to talk, but his throat had closed up. Tears welled in his eyes and he closed them, pleading mentally for help, even though he knew nothing would save him. Nothing ever did._

 _Without warning, Frieza clicked the button, on level 1._

 _The pain spurted from the pads, into his head and all through his body. It shredded through him. It felt like it was tearing sinew and muscles apart, burning his skin, shattering his bones... He screamed out in agony, writhing around as it burnt him, destroyed him, caused him pain past endurance. He felt like his body was going to burst open. It went down his spine and into his very soul. The horrendous pain was killing him._

 _And then it stopped. He sobbed as his body shook violently. The smell of burnt flesh hit his nostrils and he wanted to throw up. His eyes remained shut but he could feel blood seeping down his nose. And without warning, it started again, and it went longer this time._

 _It was truly tearing him apart. Waves over waves of insurmountable agony washed over his weakened body, roasting him alive on the outside and on the inside, making his body convulse with the horrid electricity and ripping screams from his burning throat. When it stopped again, a heavy silence fell through, broken only by Vegeta's moans of pain and ragged breathing. Vegeta opened his eyes when the wait became unbearable and bloody tears ran down his cheeks. His face was twisted in a mask of agony and terror._

 _"Oh, don't cry. That was just level one. Let's skip one and go straight to level three. I remember that one tore your skin open." he said cruelly as he dialled it up._

 _Vegeta braced himself for another round of horrid pain, his eyes welling up with tears... And then the pain started, stronger than before, more painful, more devastating. Agony washed over him and his shrieks turned so desperate... His skin burst open in several places, blood rushed from his insides and gushed from his mouth and nose, and caused him pain that his mind couldn't even understand. His head was screaming with monstrous agony... He was dying. He wouldn't make it._

 _And then it stopped._

 _"Please..." he sobbed brokenly. "I can't."_

 _"Oh, yes you can. I believe in you. In fact, I believe in you so much, I'll bump this baby up to level five."_

Vegeta woke up screaming and shot up into a sitting position.

His mom walked inside, calmly. She sat on the bed next to him and raked a hand through his hair as Vegeta breathed heavily. He drew his legs close to his body and cleaned the sweat from his forehead.

"It's okay, sweetie." she said softly. "What was it this time?"

He cleared his throat and looked at his hands.

"The electrocution device. After I escaped last time."

"Oh." she said, her face turning said. She caressed his face and he pulled away, frowning. "Well, it was just a nightmare anyway."

"Yeah." he growled. "I don't want to talk about it."

Raniya could see that he was still shaken up, his body trembling slightly, and he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until he calmed down significantly.

"So, let's talk about something else. How's Bulma?"

His face brightened up almost immediately. Bulma was the only thing that could make him drop the stoic face.

"Great." he said, smiling slightly. "She's been acting like a maniac with the prom coming."

"Oh, the prom." she said excitedly. "That's right! Oh my God, you're so close to graduating. It's great... and you'll go to the same University, too!"

Vegeta smiled wider.

"We are."

"That sound like you've planned your future extremely well." Rainya said, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't want to spend my future without her." he confessed. Then he glared at his mom. "You can't tell her I said that."

"I won't." she laughed. "But you have my blessing for whatever plans you have for your future."

* * *

Goku and Vegeta sat on a bench outside their school, smiling as they shared memories of the good times. They held the graduation hats in their hands as they stared at all their classmates talking to their families, clutching their diplomas proudly and hugging each other happily. Vegeta stared at Bulma and Chichi taking pictures and hugging and laughing. Then at his mother, carrying a sleeping Trunks in her arms as she spoke with Celipa and Mrs. Briefs. He couldn't believe he had made it this far, and happily. And fate just kept smiling at him.

"Hey, my mom wants to throw a graduation dinner tonight at our house. You and your mom are invited, of course. My mom loves her." Goku said.

"I'm sure she does." Vegeta said.

Celipa had always been very caring towards Vegeta, never questioning him about his injures and "gang fights", and had always received him in her house with open arms when he was too injured or needed a rest. She had taken care of Trunks and Tarble when he couldn't do it himself and sometimes even for days on end. She was such a good mother... and seeing how Raniya treated the three of them, surely made Celipa very happy that Vegeta finally had the family he deserved. Vegeta had also told Raniya everything about how Celipa had been so good to him, and Raniya was eternally grateful. At least Vegeta hadn't been completely alone throughout it all.

"Hey, Ouji, Son! Come on, we'll take the pictures for the football team!" Nappa said, waving at them from the entrance of the school

* * *

.

* * *

Vegeta loosened his tie as he paced back and forth in the waiting room.

He absolutely hated hospitals. They brought nothing but bad memories to him, and it only heightened his anxiety. He glanced over at the chairs and glared at the people who accompanied him. Dr. and Mrs. Briefs chatting happily with Raniya, Trunks was texting nonstop on his phone, and Tarble was playing with his PS or whatever. He couldn't understand how they could be so calm!

He growled and turned back around, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration.

Then, suddenly, a familiar face popped into his field of vision. His eyes widened.

Dr. Malaka looked true to his years. He was old and white-haired. Vegeta hadn't seen him in eight long years... but the man looked incredibly healthy despite being very wrinkled. He seemed to recognise Vegeta and immediately made his way to him.

"Vegeta Ouji?" he asked disbelievingly. Vegeta looked extremely well. He was still young, but he was an adult now. His jaw was squared, his buildup was bigger and stronger, and he was wearing a suit.

"Dr. Malaka." he said. He frowned in confusion. Doctors from Frieza's hospitals had very questionable pasts and that's why they worked in very questionable places. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, after Frieza died," he beamed at Vegeta, gratitude written all over his face, "I cleared my name and they hired me in a respectable establishment."

"I'm glad." Vegeta said.

"I'm glad to see you looking so good." the man answered. "Last thing I knew was that you killed Frieza and took over Ouji Enterprises."

"Uh, yeah." Vegeta said. "Life finally turned around for good."

"What are you doing here, then?" the doctor asked. "I was confident I'd never see you again."

"My... fiancée is pregnant." he said, blushing a little and trying to look emotionless and serious.

The doctor's eyes widened and he laughed amusedly, patting Vegeta's shoulder.

"Well, look at you! Frieza didn't totally fuck you up!" he joked. Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows at the doctor's weird humour. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Bulma Briefs." he said, smiling. "The one who helped me escape."

Dr. Malaka sighed proudly.

"I'm so glad. You deserve the best life can give you." he said. Vegeta nodded and they shook hands before the doctor walked away.

* * *

Vegeta couldn't believe it.

She was so small and fragile... and beautiful. Her eyes were blue and it looked like her hair would be blue as well. He held her close to him.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Bulma said tiredly, looking at him from the hospital bed. Vegeta nodded. "I want to name her Bulla."

"Bulla." Vegeta said. The baby girl giggled.

"She likes it." Bulma said. "Call our mothers. They're dying to see her, I suppose."

Vegeta nodded and gave the baby back to Bulma.

"I'll be right back."

Before he could leave, though, Bulma grabbed his hand. He looked down at her questioningly.

"We'll be the happiest family in the world." she said.

Vegeta smiled.

He knew it.

* * *

 _Well, what can I say?_

 _Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy chapter but I had to give you guys your happy ending. And myself. And Vegeta._

 _He needed a little cheesy chapter to balance out everything I put him through, heh._

 _It was a bit rushed, I know, but I wanted it to be short and concise. It was all about tying loose ends, finishing the story with a big smile from everyone who deserved it. I know some characters lacked a bit of participation, but I think I tied everything together._

 _Broken Glass makes me very proud because I enjoyed writing it to the very end. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, favourited, or simply read the story. I do this for you, people :)_

 _I hope I see all of you soon, when I get inspiration for a new story!_

 _Bye, guys. Thanks for everything!_


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